Bishop
Saint Varsonofy, Bishop of Tver, was born around 1495 in Serpukhov to the family of a priest named Vasily. At Baptism, he received the name John. In 1512, he was captured by the Crimean Tatars, where he endured trials for three years, preserving his faith and praying. After being ransomed, he returned home but decided to dedicate himself to God and took monastic vows at the Spassky Andronikov Monastery, receiving the name Varsonofy.
In 1553, Tsar Ivan the Terrible visited the Peshnosk Monastery, where Varsonofy became known as an experienced mentor. In 1555, he was sent to Kazan to establish the Transfiguration Monastery. On July 27, 1555, he arrived in Kazan, where he organized the monastery and consecrated the first church in honor of Saint Nicholas.
Saint Varsonofy converted Tatars to Orthodoxy, healed the sick, and his name became known far beyond Kazan. After the death of Bishop Tver Akakiy in 1567, he was summoned to Moscow and elevated to the rank of Bishop of Tver. In Tver, he continued to lead a humble life, caring for his flock.
He passed away on April 11, 1576, and was buried in the Transfiguration Monastery. In 1595, during the construction of a new church, the incorrupt relics of Saints Guriy and Varsonofy were discovered. The life story of the saints was compiled by the Holy Martyr Patriarch Hermogenes.
