St. Ignatius Brianchaninov, Bishop of the Caucasus & Black Sea

St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov),
Bishop of the Caucasus & Black Sea
(Commemorated April 30)
~Early life
The future hierarch, St. Ignatius, was chosen for the service of God even before his birth on February of 1807.
His father Alexander S. Brianchaninov was a wealthy provincial landowner in the large village of Pokrovskoe in Vologda Gubernia.
The Saint's birth was the result of his devout mother's fervent prayers, for she had no children until then. His mother Sophia (1786-1832) had been barren for a long time, and she visited the holy places in the area, asking God to give her a child.
Finally, her prayers were answered, and she gave birth to a son. In Holy Baptism he received the name Dimitry, in honour of St. Demetrios of Priluki (February 11).
The young boy spent his childhood in the solitude of village life; from his earliest years he was inexplicably attracted to the monastic life. His religious temper appeared all the more noticeably with age, being manifested in a special disposition towards prayer and the reading of spiritual books.
As he matured, he became quiet and reflective. He loved going to church and often attended the Services.
In his spare time, he would read spiritual books and would pray. After the Holy Gospels, his favourite book was “The Spiritual School,” a very old collection of the Lives and sayings of the Saints in five volumes.
Although he was drawn to the monastic life, his parents did not approve of this. Besides, it was quite unusual for a nobleman to follow such a path. His father was from an old and respected family, and he was a worldly individual with ties to the palace. He planned a military career for his son.
When Dimitry reached the age of 15, his father entered him in the Imperial School of Military Engineers at St. Petersburg. He did so well in his entrance exam that he even attracted the notice of the Director of the school, Grand Duke Nicholas Pavlovich, the future Tsar Nicholas I.
The Prince invited the young man to the palace, and introduced him to his wife, who suggested that he be given a stipend.
Dimitry performed admirably in school, and remained the top student in his class until graduation. He had a diverse array of abilities-not only in the sciences, but in painting and in music.
But even in the hustle and bustle of city life Dimitry’s spiritual aspirations did not change. In search of “eternal property for eternal man,” he gradually came to a disheartening conclusion: The value of science is limited by man’s earthly necessities and the limits of his life.
~Seeking the Truth
The clamour of the worldly pleasures could not extinguish the fire in his soul which had been kindled by divine grace.
His spirit was troubled by many thoughts: his mind was filled with doubts, and his heart seethed with passions. In this state Dimitry took refuge in prayer. He prayed constantly day and night, that his most important question of Truth and the meaning of life would be answered.
Then Dimitry turned to studying the Orthodox faith by the writings of the Holy Fathers, whose sanctity and miraculous and magnificent harmony became for him a guarantee of their truthfulness.
At the same time, he was no longer content to receive Holy Communion only once a year, as was the custom at school. Desiring to partake of this spiritual food (John 6:48-58),
Dimitry went to confess to the school's priest, who was surprised by such a request. Not only did he refuse to permit Dimitry to receive Communion more frequently, he also reported what he heard in Confession to the school authorities, which was inexcusable.
~Becoming a monk
He and his friend Nicholas Chikhachev († January 16, 1873) decided to visit the Alexander Nevsky Lavra in St. Petersburg for Confession. Fr. Athanasios, the Father Confessor, was more sympathetic than the school's priest had been, and did not discourage them when they expressed a desire to become monks.
The final upheaval in his life led to an acquaintance with Elder Leonid (later Hieromonk Lev of Optina). Dimitry Brianchaninov left the glitter and riches of the aristocratic life, and, causing deep bewilderment from “the world” and the dissatisfaction of his parents, he retired in 1827. In the meantime, his angry parents cut off all ties with him, denying him any material assistance.
Having been a novice in several monasteries, he received the monastic tonsure with the name of Ignatius in the secluded Dionisievo-Glushitsky Мonastery.
In January 1832, Hieromonk Ignatius was appointed to build the Pelshemsk-Poltava Monastery in the Vologda Province, and in 1833, was elevated to the rank of Igumen (Abbot) of the Monastery.
Reached capacity:

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St Ignatius, pray for us! ☦️ 🌐

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Glory be to God for all things+++
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