Presbyter
Father Sergey Strelnikov was born on September 24/October 7, 1887, in the village of Shulka, Vyatka Province. He graduated from the Vyatka Theological Seminary in 1911 and was appointed as a teacher at the Bogorodsk-Polyansk Church School. In 1912, he was ordained a priest and served in the Mikhail-Arkhangelsk Church until 1916, after which he was transferred to the Preobrazhenskaya Church in the village of Orshanka, where he continued his service until the end of his life.
Father Sergey actively enlightened the population by teaching the Law of God in various educational institutions. For his labors, he was awarded a nabedrennik and a skufia. He served in the Preobrazhenskaya Church for over 20 years, despite the persecutions of the Soviet authorities. In 1933, he was elevated to the rank of protopresbyter.
The church in Orshanka was closed in 1936, but Father Sergey continued to fulfill his duties, conducting services at home. In 1937, he was arrested on false charges and sentenced to death, which was carried out on August 8, 1937. He was buried in a mass grave on the Mendurskaya road.
On July 16, 2005, he was canonized among the ranks of the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia. The canonization service was completed on September 19, 2005. The relics of the newly canonized saint were found in December 2005 and are located in the home church.
To Saint Martyr Sergey Strelnikov belong the examples of humility and patience, fidelity to pastoral duty.
