Holy Confessor Sevastian (Fomin) (1884–1966) passed away on April 6 (O.S.)/19 (N.S.), 1966. Stepan Vasilʹevich Fomin (his baptismal name) was born on October 28, 1884 in the village of Kosmodemʹianskoe, Orel Province, into a poor peasant family. After the death of his parents, the five-year-old Stepan began to live with the family of his elder brother. His middle brother was tonsured a monk at Optina Hermitage. After graduating from parochial school, Stepan was in poor health and could not participate in field work, but looked after the cattle as a shepherd. He often visited his brother in the Optina Hermitage in winter. On January 3, 1909, Stepan was admitted to the skete of Optina Pustynʹ as a cell-attendant to St. Elder Iosif, after whose death in 1911 he came under the care of the elder St. Nektarii and remained with him as a cell-attendant until 1923. He was tonsured a monk with the name of Sevastian in 1917. Beginning in 1918, Optina Hermitage was closed in a succession of steps and the monks were evicted. He remained Fr. Nektarii’s cell-attendant up until the latter’s death in 1928, and was then sent out to serve at a parish in Kozelsk. He then served in Kaluga and was transferred via Tambov to the town of Kozlov, where he served at St. Elias Church until he was arrested in 1933. During interrogation, he refused to renounce the Orthodox faith and was sent to the camps in Karaganda, modern-day Kazakhstan. While there, he began to gather disciples around him. Even under the harsh conditions, he refused to break the fasts, preferring not to eat instead. After being released in 1939, he settled on the outskirts of Karaganda and began to serve there. He gradually gathered a female monastic community around him, and enjoyed much love from the people, who flocked to him for advice from all around. He was known for his gentle manner, kindness, and love for animals. Exiled to the steppes of Kazakhstan, he brought with him the spirit of Optina and Central Russia. On December 22, 1957, he was promoted to the rank of Archimandrite, and on April 16, 1966, he was tonsured into the Great Schema. He passed away on April 6/19, 1966. St. Sebastian is especially close to the many of ROCOR clergy and flock in the German diocese who moved to Germany from Kazakhstan and Siberia. |
