Patriarch
Patriarch Job was born in the 1530s in the city of Staritsa, in the Tver region. He spent his youth at the Dormition Monastery of Staritsa, where he was tonsured a monk and received the name Job. Around 1569, he was elevated to the rank of archimandrite and became abbot of the Simonov Dormition Monastery in Moscow. In 1581, he was consecrated Bishop of Kolomna, while in 1587 he became Metropolitan of Moscow. On 23 January 1589, he was enthroned as Patriarch.
He celebrated the Divine Liturgy daily. He knew both the Gospel and the Psalter by heart. His life was marked by spiritual discipline, piety, and unwavering devotion to God.
Following the death of the Tsar Feodor Ioannovich in 1598, the Russian realm entered a period of great turmoil. Despite his advanced age and poor health, Patriarch Job composed letters condemning false teachings and those who sought to divide the Church. In January 1605, he formally anathematized the heretics, as well as their supporters. After an uprising in Moscow, Saint Job was deposed from the patriarchal throne and subjected to severe persecution. Nevertheless, he remained steadfast in his faith and loyal to the one true God.
He reposed on 19 June 1607 and was buried at the Dormition Monastery of Staritsa. In 1652, his holy relics were transferred to Moscow, while in 1989 he was formally glorified among the saints of the Orthodox Church.
