Sergiev Posad, Russia, October 16, 2017
Photo: stsl.ru Archimandrite Naum (Baiborodin), the beloved elder with a great many spiritual children throughout all of Russia and beyond, who reposed on Friday at 90 years of age, was buried on Sunday at the Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra, where he labored in asceticism for decades, reports the Lavra’s website.
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Photo: stsl.ru Following the Divine Liturgy, the funeral service was celebrated in the Dormition Cathedral by Metropolitan Arseny of Istra, the vicar of the His Holiness Patriarch Kirill. His Eminence was concelebrated by the deputy abbot of the monastery Archbishop Theognost of Sergiev Posad and more than 20 other hierarchs of the Russian Church, the clergy of the monastery brotherhood, and clergy from various dioceses of the Church.
Photo: stsl.ru Many of Archimandrite Naum’s spiritual children gathered from all over Russia and abroad, including the Lavra brethren, students of the Moscow theological schools, and the parishioners and pilgrims to the monastery, gathered to bid farewell to their departed elder.
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Photo: stsl.ru Met. Arseny read out the condolences of Pat. Kirill to the gathered crowd, addressed to Abp. Theognost, the monastery brethren, and all spiritual children of the ever-memorable Achimandrite Naum:
Your Eminence! Reverend fathers, dear brothers and sisters!
I have pain in my heart due to the news of the repose of Archimandrite Naum—one of the eldest monks of the Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra, who was well-known and revered and loved by his numerous spiritual children.
Offering prayers to the Lord for the repose of his soul in the mansions of the righteous, I offer my deep condolences to Your Eminence, the brethren of the monastery of St. Sergius, and to all who have gathered at the casket of the deceased.
Now the Lord has called to Himself His faithful and zealous servant, who for many years warmed the hearts of the multitudes which came to him for advice and spiritual consolation.
The reposed has earned high authority and a special recognition in the Church, as his whole life was dedicated to the care of the spiritual children entrusted to him.
Accompanying Fr. Naum on his final path, let us pray to the Lord to grant rest to His faithful servant in the mansions of Heaven, where there is neither sickness, nor sorrow, nor sighing, but life everlasting.
May his memory be eternal.
+ KIRILL, PATRIARCH OF MOSCOW AND ALL RUSSIA
Photo: stsl.ru Following the funeral service, the casket of the newly-reposed Fr. Naum was solemnly carried around the Dormition Cathedral under the ringing of the bells.
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Photo: stsl.ru Fr. Naum was buried behind the altar of the Holy Spirit Church, next to the grave of the ever-memorable Archimandrite Kirill (Pavlov).
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Photo: stsl.ru In October 1944, Nikolai was drafted into the Soviet army, serving in aeronautical divisions. He participated in the war against Germany and Japan, subsequently being awarded the medals “For Victory over Germany” and “30 Years of the Soviet Army.” He was demobilized in 1952, and entered the physics and mathematics department of the Kyrgyz State University the next year.
The future elder entered the Moscow Theological Seminary in 1957. He was received as a novice in the Lavra that year on October 14, the feast of the Holy Protection. On August 14, 1958 he was tonsured with the name Naum in honor of St. Naum, the disciple of St. Sergius of Radonezh. He was ordained as a hierodeacon two months later on the October 8th feast of St. Sergius. Exactly one year later he was ordained as a hieromonk. He graduated from the seminary in 1960.
On April 25, 1970, he was elevated to the rank of igumen, and on Pascha 1979 to the rank of archimandrite.
Archimandrite Naum was a faithful and self-sacrificing servant of the Church, giving all his strength to labors for the glory of God. Throughout the course of many decades he daily received pilgrims for Confession and spiritual guidance. The flow of people coming to him never dried up, people coming from all corners of Russia, and from other countries, and Fr. Naum, not sparing himself, received them all, overcoming infirmities and sicknesses. He could find a word of edification and comfort in the Patristic spirit for even the most difficult problems. His ceaseless prayer and zeal for ministry were a high example for the monastic brotherhood.
