The Academy celebrated the day of St. Hieromartyr Ignatius, the Bishop of Skopinsk

On February 10, the Moscow Theological Academy honoured the memory of Hieromartyr Ignatius, Bishop of Skopinsk.

St. Hieromartyr Ignatius (Sadkovsky), his secular name Sergius, studied at the Moscow Theological Academy and was especially interested in the legacy of St. Ignatius (Bryanchaninov). Later, when he took his monastic vows, he was given a name Ignatius in honour of his most venerated saint.

In 1912-1917 worked as an assistant to a librarian Konstantin Mikhailovich Popov. Three years later, he was consecrated as the Bishop of Bel’ev, Vicar of the Tula diocese. His refusal to follow the Renovation movement brought him to a Solovetsky concentration camp for three years. 

After the second arrest, Metropolitan Sergius (Stragorodsky), Deputy of the Patriarchal Locum Tenens, appointed him to Skopino as the Vicar of the Ryazan diocese. After that, he endured two more arrests on charges of anti-revolutionary activity. Finally, a great burden of imprisonment, interrogation, hard labor in the camp undermined his health. Bishop Ignatius died in the Arkhangelsk region in 1938.

On February 10, the Bishop of Zvenigorod Theodorite, Rector of the Moscow Theological Academy, celebrated the Divine Liturgy at the Intercession Church.

At the Hours, Bishop Theodorite tonsured a reader and elevated Georgy Chikalin, a third-year undergraduate student, into a subdeacon.

After the Eucharistic Canon, Bishop Theodorite ordained Subdeacon George into a deacon.

After the sacrament verse, Artemy Samsonov, a fourth-year undergraduate student, delivered a sermon:

The example of New Martyrs and Confessors of the Russian Church makes us admire their selflessness and faith. Many Russian people endured religious persecutions in the XX century. It’s highly possible that their descendants are here among us right now. I wonder what distinguishes New Martyrs of the XX century from the ones of previous generations? The main thing is that for their tormentors their self-definition as a Christian was not enough. Torturers did their best to persuade a person voluntarily give up his faith and profess the triumph of art, education and engineering. However, not only an illiterate class of peasants but also highly intelligent people like scientists, writers, poets and philosophers carried on supporting their beliefs. We can give an example of St. Priest Pavel Florensky, St. Martyr John Popov and St. Hieromartyr Ignatius, the Bishop of Skopinsk. They showed us how to be really strong-willed, faithful and unbreakable.

Background information:

Chanting performed by a third singing group under the conduct of Artemy Samsonov.

MThA Press Office