d. 1592
The founder of the Nativity monastery at Malsk near Pskov, where he was buried and venerated.
Our Venerable Father Onuphrius, Abbot of Malsk
Venerable Onuphrius of Malsk was a sixteenth-century monastic of the Pskov region in northwestern Rus' who founded a monastery dedicated to the Nativity of the Mother of God at Malsk (Mala), situated some four versts from Izborsk and roughly fifty-six versts from Pskov. He is remembered as a disciple of Euphrosynus of Pskov, the influential organizer of monastic life in that region, and is venerated as the founder and abbot of the community that grew up around his foundation.
By tradition, Onuphrius first withdrew to seclusion on Sennoy Island on Lake Malsk before establishing the monastery. He reposed on June 12, 1592, and was buried within the Nativity church, in a chapel that came to bear his name. He is commemorated on June 12, and his memory is also kept on the so-called 'Malsk Sunday,' the first Sunday following the Apostles' (Peter and Paul) Fast.
By a flood of tears you made the desert fertile,
and your longing for God brought forth fruits in abundance.
By the radiance of miracles you illumined the whole universe!
O our holy father Onuphrius, pray to Christ our God to save our souls!
Text used with permission of the Orthodox Church in America (oca.org).
Beyond the fixed feast on June 12, the local tradition of the Pskov region keeps Onuphrius's memory on 'Malsk Sunday,' observed on the first Sunday after the fast of the Apostles Peter and Paul.
According to local tradition, an annual miraculous snowmelt was associated with his prayers, said to protect the crops and bring about abundant harvests. The sources record this as a traditional account rather than a documented historical event.
Onuphrius was buried in the Nativity church of the monastery he founded at Malsk, in a chapel dedicated to him, which became the focus of his local veneration.
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