Source: Basilica News Agency
January 4, 2016
The canonization of the Righteous John the Barefooted took place at the Nativity of the Mother of God – Desyatinnaya Monastery in Kiev, on December 29, 2015. On this occasion, His Beatitude Onuphry, Metropolitan of Kiev and all Ukraine (Patriarchate of Moscow) officiated the Divine Liturgy. Also participating were Metropolitan Anthony of Borispol and Brovasrk, Archbishop Alexander of Horodnytsya, Bishop Philaret of Novokahovsk and Henichesk, Bishop Varsanufy of Borodyansk, Bishop Damian of Fastiv, and Archimandrite Gedeon Haron, the abbot of the monastery.
After the Divine Liturgy, the last memorial service was officiated for the soul of the Righteous John the “Barefooted” the Fool for Christ, following which Metropolitan Anthony of Borispol read out the decision of the Holy Synod of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church from June 19, 2014 (journal no. 17) regarding the enlistment of Righteous John the Barefooted (†1849) among the local saints of the Eparchy of Kiev. Next, Bishop Damian of Fastovsk read the life of the newly glorified saint.
Righteous John the Barefooted passed to the Lord in 1849, aged 50, and was buried in Schekavitskoe cemetery in Kiev.
Righteous John was well known for his charity works and his foolishness for Christ. With the money he received from the rich, St John organized a settlement for the poor and the homeless where he offered daily shelter and food for approximatively 200 people. His own general rule was to reach the Saturday evening service without a single penny.
In his homily, His Beatitude Metropolitan Onuphry emphasized the importance of learning patience and humbleness, taking St John the Barefooted as an example:
"In our times, Christians are humiliated all over the world. We, the Orthodox Christians, are trampled and slandered, humiliated and stigmatized by such words that have no connection to us," the primate of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church declared.
His Beatitude Onuphry concluded saying that "all we have to do is to learn how to accept properly the situations that the Lord permits. Be patient and thankful before the Lord and you will learn humbleness and acquire salvation! St John is the type of man who endured shame and suffered because of unjustified offences. Moreover, today we glorify him as a saint of God."
After the divine service, prayers for peace in Ukraine were also read.
Finally, Metropolitan Onuphry blessed the building with the brothers' cells within the monastery.
