Metropolitan Bishop
Saint Agafangel, Metropolitan of Yaroslavl, was born on September 27, 1854, in the village of Mogily in the Tula province, in a priest's family. From an early age, he showed deep piety, dreaming of becoming a servant of the altar. In 1871, he entered the Tula Theological Seminary, and then in 1877, he entered the Moscow Theological Academy, which he graduated from in 1881 with the degree of Candidate of Theology.
After being appointed to positions in theological schools, he lost his wife and newborn child, which prompted him to take monastic vows under the name Agafangel in 1885. In 1886, he became the inspector of the Tomsk Theological Seminary, and in 1888, he was appointed rector of the Irkutsk Theological Seminary. In 1889, he was consecrated as the Bishop of Kirensk.
From 1893 to 1897, he managed the Tobolsk and Siberian diocese, then became the Bishop of Riga and Mitava, and from 1910, he was the Bishop of Vilnius and Lithuania. In 1912, he was awarded the diamond cross on his klobuk for his kindness towards the clergy and laity.
With the onset of World War I, he organized hospitals and sent priests to the army. In 1917-1918, he was a member of the Local Council and the Supreme Church Administration under Patriarch Tikhon. On May 12, 1922, Patriarch Tikhon entrusted him with the authority to manage the Church.
In 1922, opposing the Renovationists, he was arrested and sent into exile. In his will, Patriarch Tikhon named him a candidate for the position of Locum Tenens of the Patriarchal Throne. After the end of his exile, he faced attempts to seize church power but refused to pursue ambitions for power, calling for unity.
Saint Agafangel's health deteriorated, and he frequently partook of the Holy Mysteries. On October 3, 1928, he passed away and was buried in the Yaroslavl cemetery. In 2000, he was canonized among the ranks of the new martyrs and confessors of Russia for church-wide veneration.
