Vol. 51, No. 4 (303) July–August, 2015

New Hiero-confessor Sergius (Srebryansky)

Compiled by Abbot Damascene (Orlovsky)

This issue of The Orthodox Word features “New Hiero-confessor Sergius (Srebryansky), Spiritual Father of the Martha-Mary Convent,” an article compiled by Abbot Damascene (Orlovsky), well known for his extensive work in chronicling the hagiography of of Russia’s New Martyrs and Confessors. Fr. Sergius (1870-1948) spent the early years of his priesthood as a regimental priest of the Russian army, valiantly serving, even under fire, during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905. He was noticed for his exemplary character and spiritual depth by the patroness of his regiment, New Martyr Grand Duchess Elizabeth, who asked him to be the spiritual father of her newly formed Martha-Mary Convent in Moscow. He served in this capacity until the closure of the convent by the Bolsheviks, and then spent years in imprisonment and exile. After his release he served as a spiritual father in a village, reaching heights of holiness as a man of prayer and a consoler of human suffering. His remarkable life’s path can serve as an inspiration to Orthodox Christians in all walks of life, and in the most trying and troubled of circumstances.

This issue also contains Part II of “The Good Shepherd Giveth His Life: New Hieromartyr Thaddeus (Uspensky) and the Church’s Struggle against the Renovationist Schism,” by attorney Arkady Kuznetsov.