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Archbishop of AverkyBishop of the Russian Orthodox Church
Date of Birth: 14.03.1879
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Content:
- Bishop Averkii: A Life of Service and Martyrdom
- Monastic Life and Episcopal Service
- Archbishop of Volyn and Zhitomir
- Persecution and Exile
- Imprisonment and Martyrdom
- Canonization
- Family
- Petr, who became Archbishop Pakhomii of Chernigov
Bishop Averkii: A Life of Service and Martyrdom
Early Life and EducationArchbishop Averkii (born Polycarp Kedrov on March 2, 1879 in Yaran, Russia) was the third vicar of the Volyn eparchy of the Russian Orthodox Church. He graduated from the Yaran Theological School in 1894 and the Vyatka Theological Seminary in 1900. In 1904, he completed his studies at the Saint Petersburg Theological Academy with a degree in theology.
Monastic Life and Episcopal Service
After serving as a professor at the Lithuanian Theological Seminary, Averkii entered the monastic life in 1910 at the Valaam Monastery. He was ordained a monk on July 2 and a priest on July 5. In 1911, he became the rector of the Volyn Theological Seminary. In 1915, he was consecrated as Bishop of Ostrozh.
During World War I, Bishop Averkii visited the front lines to provide support to the soldiers. He was awarded the Order of Saint Vladimir for his courage.
Archbishop of Volyn and Zhitomir
In 1921, Bishop Averkii was appointed Archbishop of Volyn and Zhitomir. He was a compassionate and devoted shepherd, earning the love and respect of his flock. In response to the famine in the Volga region, he organized a relief effort in his eparchy.
Persecution and Exile
During the Soviet era, Archbishop Averkii faced relentless persecution. In 1922, he was arrested and accused of anti-Soviet activities. After being held in prison, he was forced into exile in 1927. In 1928, he returned to his eparchy but continued to face harassment from the authorities.
Imprisonment and Martyrdom
In 1930, Archbishop Averkii was arrested again for reading a document critical of the Soviet government's treatment of the Church. He was sent to prison and later exiled to the North. In 1934, he was assigned a replacement in his eparchy.
In 1937, the authorities arrested Archbishop Averkii once more and accused him of treason. He was tortured and forced into confessing. On November 10, 1937, he was executed by firing squad and buried in a mass grave in Ufa, Russia.
Canonization
In 1981, Archbishop Averkii was canonized as a martyr by the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia. He is remembered as a fearless defender of the faith and a true shepherd who laid down his life for his flock.
Family
Archbishop Averkii's father was a priest named Pyotr Kedrov. He had several siblings, including:
Petr, who became Archbishop Pakhomii of Chernigov
Mikhail, who became Bishop of Wroclaw in the Polish Orthodox ChurchIvan
Alexander
Nikolai
Zinaida
Vera
