Saint Paphnutius of Borovsk was born in 1394 in the village of Kudino. His secular name was Parthenius. In 1414, he took monastic vows at the Pokrovsky Monastery. After the death of the abbot, he succeeded him in this position and was also ordained to the priesthood around 1426. He spent thirty years in the monastery, becoming a revered spiritual elder and guide for the brotherhood.
At the age of 51, he fell seriously ill. He stepped down as abbot, received the great schema, and after his recovery, on April 23, 1444, he left the monastery with one more monk. They settled near the Protva River. Gradually, disciples began to gather around him, and a stone church was built in honor of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos.
Saint Paphnutius became a great symbol of monasticism, living a strict and ascetic life. He fasted rigorously—eating nothing on Mondays and Fridays, and following a dry diet on Wednesdays. He also undertook the hardest tasks in the monastery and was always the first to arrive for the holy services.
He was deeply loved and respected not only by his own brethren but also by monks from other communities. Among those who came to him was the young John Sanin, who would later become Saint Joseph of Volokolamsk.
A week before his repose, he foretold his death. After offering his final prayer and blessing the brotherhood, he departed peacefully to the Lord on May 1, 1477. Saint Paphnutius was a disciple of Saint Sergius, the igumen of Radonezh.
