Tetovo, North Macedonia, October 17, 2022
Photo: pppe.mk
The Macedonian Orthodox Church-Ohrid Archbishopric celebrated the glorification of a new saint this weekend.
On May 10, the Holy Synod of the Macedonian Church resolved to canonize Fr. Joakim Krcovski and Fr. Kiril Pejčinoviḱ.
Photo: pppe.mk
The liturgical glorification of St. Joakim was celebrated on May 22, and yesterday, His Eminence Metropolitan Stefan of Ohrid celebrated the glorification of St. Kiril at the Cathedral of Sts. Cyril and Methodius in Tetovo, reports the Diocese of Prespa and Pelagonia.
The primate of the Macedonian Church was joined by 11 other hierarchs of the Macedonian Church.
Photo: pppe.mk
During the Liturgy, His Grace Bishop Kliment of Heraclea, vicar of the Diocese of Prespa and Pelagonia, read out the Synodal decision on the canonization of St. Kiril, who is honored as an ascetic, enlightener, and father of modern Macedonian literature.
His feast will be celebrated annually on March 12/25.
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St. Kiril was born c. 1770 in the village of Teartse in present-day North Macedonia.
It’s believed he studied at the Bigorsky Monastery of St. John the Baptist. St. Kiril’s father later sold the family property and, together with his brother and son, moved to Hilandar Monastery on Mt. Athos, where the newly glorified saint received the name Kiril.
St. Kiril later moved to the Kičevo Monastery of the Most Holy Theotokos, where he became a hieromonk.
In 1801, he became abbot of the Monastery of St. Demetrius near Skopje, which he entirely rebuilt from ruins over the course of 17 years. It was there that he wrote one of his best-known works, The Mirror—an ascetical homily, inspired by the Athonite Kollyvades movement, with an emphasis on the importance of frequent Communion.
In 1818, he became abbot of St. Athanasius Monastery near the village of Lešok, which he also restored after its abandonment of 100 years.
St. Kiril dedicated himself to preaching and literary and educational work. He opened a school and helped restore a printing press in Thessaloniki, which printed his second book, Consolation for Sinners, in 1840.
He reposed on March 12, 1845 at St. Athanasius Monastery and was buried in the churchyard.
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