About Me
A Thousand Years of Valaam
In the northern part of Russia a thousand years ago, on an island in the huge lake of Ladoga, was founded the monastery of Valaam. And ever since, with relatively short intervals, holy monks have labored there for Christ. Their influence was immense in the building of Holy Russia, when daily life was lived according to the ascetic principles of the Christian world-view.
Sts. Sergius and Herman of Valaam
Their Lives have been lost, and little is now known of the earthly deeds of the two founders of monasticism in the far North, but the great monastic tradition of Valaam, the Athos of the North, which they planted, has come down to our own day and nourished the first saint of America, St. Herman of Alaska.
According to ancient tradition, the islands of Valaam in Lake Ladoga in the Novgorod region of northern Russia were evangelized by the Apostle Andrew, who blessed the islands and placed a cross on a cliff of the main island. The Orthodox faith was kept alive there through the centuries until the arrival of Sts. Sergius and Herman. The two saints came to Valaam even before the Baptism of Russia in 988, for it was known that already in 960 there was a flourishing monastery there with an abbot. They came from the Eastern lands and were of Greek descent. Both were priest-monks and missionaries.
St. Sergius, who apparently came first, evangelized the local people and settled at the spot where St. Andrew left the cross. There he led the strictest monastic life, wearing out his flesh by fasting, vigils, and all-night standings, and founded the monastic community of Valaam. During the day he preached the Gospel of Christ, baptized the local inhabitants, and transcribed sacred books. He spent his last days laboring in asceticism in a cave, and was buried with great honor and ceremony by one of the prominent natives whom he had baptized.
His successor, St. Hermanwho may have been his direct disciple and even have come together with himwas like St. Sergius in strictness of life and apostolic labors, and he strengthened the monastic foundation, which his predecessor had laid down. According to a 14th century document all three basic types of monasticism existed very early in Valaam: the solitary life of anchoretism, the small groups of brethren living together in skete-life (there were twelve sketes quite early in the area around Valaam) and coenobitism. Both saints were granted by God the gift of prophecy, seeing future events as present. Both were buried on the site of St. Andrews cross.
Soon after the death of the founders, the monastery at Valaam was subjected to the raids of local pagan nomads, and the monks took away the relics of the Saints to preserve them. Several times in the following centuries the relics were opened and brought back and forth to and from Valaam, owing to the uncertain conditions of the time. In the 12th century St. John, Bishop of Novgorod, ordered an icon to be done of both Saints from their uncorrupted relics, and icons of the Saints down to the present day are descended from this original icon. When, at the same time, the holy relics were once more brought back to Valaam, the day to commemorate the translation was established, September 11.
The two Saints worked many miracles soon after their death, and they became known especially as protectors for those at sea and for those possessed by demons.
Saints Sergius and Herman Pray to God for us.
