Bishop
Saint James, originally from the Rostov region, took monastic vows at an early age and was appointed Bishop of Rostov under Metropolitan Pimen and Grand Duke Dmitry Ivanovich Donskoy in 1386. He left his see after defending a woman condemned to death, which angered the prince and the citizens, leading to the saint's exile from the city.
As he departed, Saint James performed a miracle by stepping onto his mantle laid on the water and floated across Lake Rostov, reaching the shore a mile and a half from the city, where he later founded the Yakovlevsky Monastery.
Many admirers came to him, and he built cells and a church in honor of the Conception of Saint Anna, where he completed his days in 1392.
During his episcopate in Rostov, a heretic named Markian appeared, teaching against the veneration of icons. Saint James condemned his false teachings, and the heretic was forced to leave the city.
The relics of Saint James rest in the monastery he founded, known as the Yakovlevsky Monastery.
