Bolkhov, Orel Province, Russia, February 26, 2024
Photo: orel-eparhia.ru
The relics of a 19th-century archimandrite and missionary to Altai were recently uncovered in the Orel Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church.
St. Makary (Glukharev) of Altai (†1847) founded the Altai mission in 1830. He was glorified by the Russian Orthodox Church in 2000 and is commemorated on May 18/31.
The relics of the missionary saint were recently uncovered in the crypt-tomb of the Holy Trinity Church of the Holy Trinity-Nativity of the Theotokos-Optina Convent in Bolkhov, Orel Province, and on Saturday, February 24, His Eminence Metropolitan Tikhon of Orel celebrated the Divine Liturgy there, before the relics, reports the Orel Metropolis.
Holy Trinity-Nativity of the Theotokos-Optina Convent in Bolkhov, Orel Province
Before the All-Night Vigil that evening, the relics were washed, adorned in new vestments, and placed in a specially made reliquary.
After the All-Night Vigil that evening, the relics were transferred to the Holy Theophany Cathedral in the city of Orel, where Met. Tikhon celebrated the Liturgy the next morning.
The relics will remain in the cathedral until May, after which part of his relics will be given to the Altai Metropolis. His right hand will be given to the monastery.
OrthoChristian reported earlier this month that remains found at the Holy Trinity-Klimetsk Monastery on Bolshoy Klimetsk Island in the Russian Republic of Karelia in 2022 were confirmed last month to be those of St. Jonah of Klimetsk, an ascetic saint of the 15th–16th century who founded the monastery where his relics were uncovered.
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Photo: orel-eparhia.ru
St. Makary, born in 1792, is known as a missionary and translator. His translation of the Old Testament was used in the work of the Synodal translation of the Bible into Russian. He has already mastered Hebrew, German, and French by the age of 20.
He graduated from the St. Petersburg Theological Academy, was tonsured a monk, and appointed rector of the Kostroma Seminary. In 1821, he was elevated to the rank of archimandrite and appointed abbot of the Kostroma Holy Theophany Monastery.
St. Makary was later blessed by St. Philaret of Moscow for missionary work, and in 1830, he arrived in Altai, where he began educating the local population. During his 13.5 years of missionary service there, he baptized 700 adult Ataians and more than 700 of their children.
After serving in Altai, he was appointed abbot of the monastery in Bolkhov. Finding the knowledge of the Orthodox faith to be dismally low in the Orel Diocese, the outraged St. Makary ordered all to come to the monastery to learn.
At the same time, he continued to raise funds and find new employees for the Altai mission.
In 1847, he became ill and died in the monastery, and was buried in the crypt-tomb of the Holy Trinity Church.
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