Gregoriy Pelshemskiy Founder of the Pelshem Monastery Date of Birth: 01.01.1315

1. Saint Gregory of Pel'shema Monastery
2. Monastic Life and Priesthood
3. Founding of Pel'shema Monastery
4. Renown and Influence
5. Death and Veneration
6. Closure and Present Status

Saint Gregory of Pel'shema Monastery

Saint Gregory was born into the noble Lopatov family in the Galich region around 1306. At the age of 15, his parents planned to arrange his marriage, but they passed away before their intention could be realized. As a result, Gregory abandoned his inheritance and entered the Nativity of the Theotokos Monastery near Lake Galich.

Monastic Life and Priesthood

Later on, Gregory was ordained as a hieromonk and became the abbot of the monastery. He gained the respect of the local people and prince Yuri Dimitrievich. However, seeking distance from the fame and accolades, Gregory left the monastery and journeyed to Rostov to pay homage to its holy sites.

In Rostov, he settled in the Avraamiev Monastery and later became the archimandrite of the Savior Monastery on Peski. After two years of leadership, he discreetly fled Rostov during the night and sought tutelage under the venerable Dionysius of Glushitsa.

Founding of Pel'shema Monastery

At the age of 104, Gregory left Dionysius and settled on the banks of the Pel'shema River, where he built a cell for himself. Soon, he was joined by a priest named Alexy, whom he tonsured into monasticism, giving him the name Alexander. As other ascetics gathered, Gregory received permission from the Rostov bishop, Ephraim, to establish a monastery. He subsequently built a church dedicated to the Council of the Most Holy Theotokos.

Renown and Influence

Gregory's monastery quickly gained recognition, and Gregory himself garnered widespread respect. In 1433, he traveled to Moscow to persuade Prince Yuri Dimitrievich to return the usurped throne to Grand Prince Vasily II.

Death and Veneration

Gregory passed away at the extraordinary age of 127. Before his death, he visited his spiritual father, Varsonofy, to confess and receive communion. As he lay dying, he requested that his body be thrown into a swamp, but his disciples, honoring him, buried him in the church of the monastery he had founded.

In later years, a fire destroyed the church, and a chapel was erected over Gregory's tomb. In 1706, it was replaced with a wooden church dedicated to Saint Gregory, where his relics remained buried. In 1810, a reliquary was placed above his grave, containing the saint's iron chains. The wooden structure was eventually replaced with a stone building in 1833.

Closure and Present Status

In 1926, the Pel'shema Monastery was closed by the Soviet authorities. The church that housed Saint Gregory's relics is now in ruins, and his remains are still undiscovered and buried beneath the church's foundation.