Presbyter
Saint Martyr Sergius was born on June 15, 1893, in the village of Borok, Yaroslavl Province, in the family of priest John Smirnov. After graduating from the Rybinsk Teacher's Institute, he became a teacher, but at his father's urging, he entered the Yaroslavl Theological Seminary. After completing it, he married Nadezhda, who sang in the choir. In 1919, he was ordained a priest for the church in the village of Sannikovo. He served until 1935, proving himself to be a zealous pastor and a lover of the poor. In 1935, unable to pay the tax, he was expelled with his family from their home and began to wander.
In 1937, Fr. Sergius was arrested and sentenced to death by shooting on charges of anti-Soviet activity. During the interrogations, he refused to admit his guilt, asserting that he was merely fulfilling his ecclesiastical duties. On November 3, 1937, he was shot. He was canonized among the ranks of the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia in August 2000 for church-wide veneration.
