Holy Blessed Xenia of St. Petersburg was canonized on this day in 1978. His Beatitude Metropolitan Anastassy (Gribanovsky) opposed the canonization of St. John of Kronstadt by the Russian Church Abroad on the grounds that it was no business of refugees to canonize a person belonging to the entire Russian Church. Therefore St. John was canonized in 1964, when the metropolitan stepped down from his post. He became the first saint from the greater St. Petersburg area who was canonized in New York by the ROCOR. The question of glorifying Blessed Xenia was brought up at the 1974 All-Diaspora Council and the 1976 Council of Bishops. The criterion for glorification was expressed well in the following statement by Bishop Paul of Stuttgart at the 1976 Council of Bishops: “Blessed Xenia was active more than 200 years ago, but her memory remains alive. Many miracles occur through her prayers” (Archive of the Synod of Bishops, New York, Minutes no. 6, September 25/October 5, 1976). Archbishop Anthony of Los Angeles wrote in 1979 that the question “of the glorification of Blessed Xenia was resolved easily and quickly at the two past Councils of Bishops” (“O proslavlenii novomuchenikov i ispovednikov rossiiskikh: doklad Arkhiereiskomu Soboru”, Pravoslavnaia Rus’, 1979:6) During the year of the glorification, the Synod of Bishops directed the diocesan bishops and rectors of the churches under the Synod to conduct memorial litiyas for Blessed Xenia in all churches from August 24/September 6 to September 10/23, 1978. This directive stated, “On Sunday, September 11/24, following the Divine Liturgy, inform parishioners from the ambo of the glorification of Blessed Xenia being performed today by the Hierarchical Council and conduct a solemn moleben to Blessed Xenia” (Ukaz iz Arkhiereiskogo Sinoda Russkoi Pravoslavnoi Tserkvi Zagranitsei”, Pravoslavnaia Rus’, 1974). Prior to the canonization, the Foundation of the Memory of Blessed Xenia of St. Petersburg, headed by Bishop Laurus, was collecting testimonies of the reception of help from prayers to Holy Blessed Xenia. Many testimonies from various corners of the earth were published in Pravoslavnaia Rus’. The ROCOR Council of Bishops directed the foundation to collect material for a glorification. Devotees of Blessed Xenia were called upon to serve panikhidas in their parishes and to arrange meetings with slide shows about Blessed Xenia. We are observing here “a classical case” of canonization when bishops study the nature of veneration and decide whether or not give it “a green light.” Blessed Xenia's canonization by the Russian Church in 1988 proved that despite all the divisions two churches were thinking alike. |
