Metropolitan Bishop
The glorious city of Mariupol was founded in honor of the Most Holy Theotokos - the Virgin Mary by Saint Ignatius of Mariupol, the Metropolitan of Gothia and Kephalia. In the difficult times of suffering for the Crimean Greeks, who were under the yoke of Muslims, God sent them a great saint, who became for them a Moses, returning to them the right to live.
Saint Ignatius was born in Greece on the island of Fermia in the early 10s of the 18th century. Growing up on the Holy Mountain of Athos, he took monastic vows with the name Ignatius. Having shown himself to be a good shepherd, he was appointed a member of the Patriarchal Synkellos. In 1769, he became the successor of the Most Reverend Gideon and headed the Gothia-Kephalia diocese in Taurida.
Saint Ignatius organized the exodus of Orthodox Greeks from the Tatar Crimea to the Christian land of the Sea of Azov. On April 23, 1778, he called the faithful to begin preparations for the exodus from the land of slavery. In June, leaving their homes, more than thirty thousand people left the borders of Crimea, following the holy icon of the Mother of God “Odigitria”.
The military side of the affairs was led by Alexander Suvorov, while the spiritual-administrative side was overseen by Bishop Ignatius. On the way, they overcame difficulties and illnesses, thanks to the prayers of the saint. On the Russian shore of the Sea of Azov, the city of Mariupol was founded, where the saint established a new diocese.
Saint Ignatius cared for the spiritual life of his flock, despite the difficulties and dangers. On February 16, 1786, he departed to the Lord and was buried in the first Mariupol church - the Cathedral of Saint Charalambos. The name of the saint again awakened grateful memory of him among the Orthodox of the Sea of Azov.
During the years of atheistic totalitarian oppression, the church where the relics of the saint were located was destroyed, and the relics were transferred to the basement of the local history museum. During the occupation, the relics were discovered and transferred to the church building. In 1998, Saint Ignatius was canonized by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
On November 30, 2017, the name of Saint Ignatius was included in the calendar of the Russian Orthodox Church.
