The Tolgsk Icon of the Most Holy Mother of God
Commemorated on August 8
The Tolgsk Icon of
the Most Holy Mother of God appeared on 8 August 1314 to the Rostov
Sainted-hierarch Prokhor (schema-name Tryphon). Going about his diocese, the
saint visited the Belozersk environs and set off from there and set off thither
nigh along the banks of the Rivers Sheksna and Volga, to Yaroslavl'. Having
stopped with the approach of night 7 versts distant from Yaroslavl', at the
right bank of the Volga River there flows opposite into it the River Tolga. At
midnight, when everyone was asleep, the saint awoke and saw a bright light
illuminating the surroundings. The light proceeded from a fiery column on the
other bank of the river, to which there stretched a bridge. Taking up his
staff, the saint went across to the other bank, and having approached the
fiery column, he beheld on it the icon of the Most Holy Mother of God, suspended
in the air. Astonished at the miracle, the saint prayed for a long time, and
when he returned back, he forgot to take his staff.
The next day, after
making matins, when Saint Prokhor was preparing to continue his journey by
boat, they began to search for his staff, but they were not able to find it
anywhere. The saint then remembered, that he had forgotten his staff on the
other bank of the river, whither he had gone across on the miraculous bridge.
He then told about what had occurred, and sending servants across on a boat to
the other shore, they came back and reported the news, that in the forest
amidst the trees they had seen an icon of the Mother of God, next to his
bishop's staff. The saint quickly crossed over with all his retinue to the
opposite shore, and he recognised the icon that had appeared to him. Then after
fervent prayer in front of the icon, they cleared the forest at that place, and
put down the foundations of a church. When the people of Yaroslavl' learned of
this, they came out to the indicated spot. By midday the church was already
built, and in the evening the saint consecrated it in honour of the Entrance
("Vvedenie") into the Temple of the Most Holy Mother of God, and
having installed the icon there he established a feastday on the day of its appearance.
Saint Prokhor later built near this church the Tolgsk monastery. Sainted
Prokhor died on 7 September 1328.
© 1996-2001 by translator Fr. S. Janos.
