Hierarch16th century

Saint Serapion Archbishop of Novgorod

d. March 16, 1516

Also known as Serapion of Novgorod

Born near Moscow, he served as a parish priest, was widowed, and took monastic vows, later becoming abbot and eventually Archbishop of Novgorod.

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Commemorated as

Our Father among the Saints Serapion, Archbishop of Novgorod

Life

Serapion was a sixteenth-century Russian hierarch who rose from parish priesthood to the See of Novgorod and Pskov. Born near Moscow in the village of Pekhorka (now Pekhra-Pokrovskoye in present-day Moscow Oblast), he married and was ordained a priest, but was widowed within a year of his marriage.

After his wife's death he took monastic vows at the Dubensky Dormition Monastery in Vladimir province, where he eventually became hegumen (abbot). He later served as hegumen of the Stromynsky Dormition Monastery and, in the mid-1490s, assumed leadership of the Trinity Monastery, the house later renowned as the Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra.

Consecrated Archbishop of Novgorod and Pskov in 1506 despite his initial reluctance, Serapion held the see for only a little over three years. A jurisdictional dispute with Joseph of Volokolamsk led to his removal by a synod and a period of confinement, which he is recorded to have borne with humility and patience. Released in 1511, he spent his remaining years at the Trinity Monastery, where he reposed in 1516.

Kontakion & Troparion2 hymnsReadHide

KontakionTone 3

As a crown of glory has been adorned today with Novgorod the Great,
rejoicing in remembrance of its pastor and teacher,
and, having placed a royal crown, the great Lavra rejoices brightly,
where God glorified you, His saint,
and showed it to our generation Thy relics, which bring healing,
O most glorious Holy Hierarch Serapion,
and the Church of God rejoices,
gathering a monastic assembly and all the faithful, that they may cry aloud:
“Rejoice, Great Novgorod and the honorable Monastery of Saint Sergius,
the brightest lamp in all the Russian land.”

Text used with permission of the Orthodox Church in America (oca.org).

TroparionTone 8

Truly, you appeared as a hard diamond, like your Master and Lord in all things,
you endured unjust persecutions joyously;
therefore Christ has numbered you among the Hierarchs and Martyrs,
and has given you to your flock as a treasure which cannot be taken away, enriching all with miracles;
therefore we, who come to the shrine with your relics, call upon you with love:
O great among Hierarchs and wondrous among Martyrs.
O most esteemed Bishop Serapion, our Father, pray to the all-good God for the salvation of our souls.

Text used with permission of the Orthodox Church in America (oca.org).

Timeline6 momentsReadHide

1493–1495Leadership of the Trinity MonasterySerapion assumed leadership of the Trinity Monastery, the house later renowned as the Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra, after earlier service as hegumen of the Dubensky and Stromynsky Dormition monasteries.
January 15, 1506Consecrated Archbishop of Novgorod and PskovWith the consent of Grand Prince Vasily III of Moscow, Serapion was consecrated and enthroned as Archbishop of Novgorod and Pskov, though he had initially refused the position.
1507Dispute with Joseph of VolokolamskWhen Joseph of Volokolamsk, who fell under Serapion's episcopal jurisdiction, transferred his monastery to princely patronage, Serapion deprived Joseph of his blessing and excommunicated him. Joseph appealed directly to Metropolitan Simon of Moscow, an action Serapion regarded as anti-canonical.
July 1509Removal and confinementA synod found Serapion at fault, removed him from the See of Novgorod, and confined him to the Andronikov Monastery in Moscow, where he is recorded to have endured harsh conditions with humility and patience.
1511ReleaseSerapion was released from confinement and spent his remaining years at the Trinity Monastery.
March 16, 1516ReposeSerapion reposed at the Trinity Monastery. The See of Novgorod then remained vacant for seventeen years, until 1526.

Contributions & Legacy

3 contributionsReadHide

Early Life and Monastic Career

Serapion originated from Pekhorka, a village in the Moscow region now identified with Pekhra-Pokrovskoye, part of Balashikha in present-day Moscow Oblast. He married and was ordained a priest, but was widowed within a year of his marriage.

Following his wife's death, he was tonsured a monk at the Dubensky Dormition Monastery in Vladimir province, where he eventually became hegumen. He subsequently served as hegumen of the Stromynsky Dormition Monastery; both institutions were later liquidated in the eighteenth century. In the mid-1490s he assumed leadership of the Trinity Monastery, later renowned as the Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra.

Archbishop of Novgorod

On the initiative of Grand Prince Vasily III of Moscow, Serapion was consecrated and enthroned as Archbishop of Novgorod and Pskov on January 15, 1506, despite his initial refusal of the office. His tenure lasted a little over three years.

The defining conflict of his episcopate arose in 1507, when Joseph of Volokolamsk, who fell within Serapion's episcopal jurisdiction, transferred his monastery to princely patronage. Serapion responded by depriving Joseph of his blessing and excommunicating him. Joseph then appealed directly to Simon, Metropolitan of Moscow, bypassing his archbishop — an action Serapion deemed anti-canonical. Sources record Serapion's complaint that Joseph had 'abandoned heaven and descended to earth,' language the Grand Prince interpreted as a personal affront to his divinely sanctioned authority.

Removal, Confinement, and Final Years

In July 1509 a synod found Serapion at fault, removed him from his see, and confined him to the Andronikov Monastery in Moscow, where he endured harsh conditions. The sources record that he bore this imprisonment with great humility and patience.

He was released in 1511 and spent his remaining years at the Trinity Monastery, where he reposed on March 16, 1516. After his death the See of Novgorod remained vacant for seventeen years, until 1526. He is venerated as a saint in the Russian Orthodox Church, with a feast day on March 16.

Member ofReadHide

Synaxis of the Hierarchs of Novgorod

Commemorated together · Feb 10; Oct 4

Related Saints3 saintsShowHide

Saints connected to his life, mission, and place in Orthodox tradition.

Counterpart in the jurisdictional dispute; his abbey lay under Serapion's see, and Serapion's excommunication of him over its transfer to princely patronage led to the synod that removed Serapion from Novgorod. Both are venerated as saints.

Venerable Josephof Volokolamsk

Whom he appointed hegumen of the Trinity monastery on the Svir in 1506.

Venerable AlexanderAbbot of Svir

An earlier archbishop of his own see of Novgorod.

Euthymiusof Novgorod

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Sources: OCA Synaxarion (oca.org), Lives of the Saints