The Monk Jona of Yashezersk

Commemorated on September 22

      The Monk Jona of Yashezersk was born in the village of Shoksha, 16 versts from the monastery afterwards established by him. The beginning of the monastery took place in 1580, when a wooden church was built in honour of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Mother of God, and eight monks joined together with the monk for their joint ascetic deeds.
      The Monk Jona toiled with great concern over the building up of the monastery. Thus for example, in order to ease the catching of fish, he himself dug across a channel-ditch from Yashozero to the nearby Lake Senno. He often rode atop horseback along the solitary paths of the forest in search of necessities for the monastery. The ascetic made vessels from wood for use at the time of Divine services. In time the monk became known for his holy life far beyond the bounds of the monastery. Many pilgrims brought in gift things, among which also were Church service books. The boundaries of the monastery expanded, and the number of churches increased. Profound love and reverence were had towards the ascetic by the Novgorod Metropolitan Isidor, by the hegumen of the Solovetsk monastery Jakov and the Monk Irinarch (Comm. 17 July), and likewise by many other contemporaries.
      The Monk Jona died at the end of the XVI Century and was buried in the Annunciation monastery founded by him.