Bishop
Saint Jonah (in the world Vladimir Pokrovsky), missionary bishop, was born in 1888 in Kaluga. Orphaned, he received his education at the Kaluga Seminary and the Kazan Spiritual Academy. He was spiritually guided by Elder Gabriel from Optina Monastery. In 1918, pursued by the revolutionary authorities, he was arrested and subjected to brutal torture, but was later freed by the White Army. In Omsk, he became the chief priest of the Southern Army and then served in the Beijing Spiritual Mission and in Manchuria, where he demonstrated his pastoral gifts by establishing educational institutions and caring for children.
Having fallen ill with angina in 1925, he continued to perform services despite his illness. On October 19, after confession and communion, he left a will urging his spiritual children to love one another. He died holding a cross and an icon at 1:30 AM. During the funeral prayers, the people did not leave their archpastor, and during the burial, the saint appeared to a 10-year-old boy, healing him.
From 1994 to 1996, the saint's devotees tried to find his remains in China, but this was unsuccessful. Saint Jonah was canonized on October 19, 1996.
