On January 10, the feast day of Venerable Paul of Obnora, the Church also commemorates Venerable Macarius of Pisma. According to tradition, the two saints met during Saint Paul's travels to various monasteries before the year 1414.
Venerable Macarius was born in the village of Danilovo. He first learned the monastic life under the guidance of Venerable Sergius before withdrawing to a dense forest near the Pisma River. There he established a monastery with a church dedicated to the Transfiguration of the Lord.
Following the foundation of his monastery, Venerable Macarius remained in close contact with Venerable Paul. Although the two monastic communities embraced the same ascetic principles and way of life, their paths developed differently. The Monastery of Obnora grew into a large and flourishing brotherhood, whereas the Monastery of Pisma remained a small hermitage. Nevertheless, the two communities maintained an enduring spiritual bond. Indeed, on a map commissioned by Tsar Ivan the Terrible, the monastic community of Venerable Macarius is recorded as being affiliated with the Monastery of Obnora.
The earliest known written reference to an icon of Venerable Macarius dates from 1683, indicating that public veneration of the saint had already begun.
After his repose, numerous miracles were reported at his tomb. On one occasion, when a devastating fire swept through the area, the site of his burial was the only place left untouched, having been mysteriously covered by an extraordinary fresh air.
