Orthodox icon | Saint Joasaph of Belgorod | 24964

About this icon:

Depicted is the Orthodox icon | Saint Joasaph of Belgorod.

The Orthodox icon presents Saint Joasaph of Belgorod, an 18th-century Russian Orthodox hierarch who actively served as the bishop of Belgorod from 1748 until his demise. After Saint Joasaph’s death, witnesses made the miraculous discovery that his remains were preserved intact and became associated with numerous miracles.

The Legend of Saint Joasaph:

Extraordinary events prompted the Eastern Orthodox Church to officially recognize and honor Saint Joasaph in 1911. However, during the chaotic events of 1917, looters targeted his shrine and his sacred body was lost. Eventually, authorities found his remains in a museum storage facility and brought them back to Belgorod in 1991.

In 1727, Saint Joasaph became a monk and took the name Joasaph. The following year, he was ordained as a deacon, and at the end of that school year, he began teaching at the Academy.

In 1737, he was appointed as an archimandrite. In 1744, upon Empress Elizabeth’s request, he became an archimandrite and assumed leadership of the Trinity Lavra of Saint Sergius, a prominent Russian monastery and spiritual center.

On June 2, 1748, he received consecration as the bishop of Belgorod and Oboyanska.

Saint Joasaph passed away on December 10, 1754, at the age of 49. On December 15, they transported his body to Belgorod and placed it inside the Holy Trinity Cathedral, following his instructions. Then, on February 28, 1755, they moved his coffin to a crypt within the cathedral, fulfilling his desires.

In the period leading up to the outbreak of the First World War, people greatly revered Saint Joasaph’s relics. They publicly exhibited them to facilitate the healing of the sick and attracting large crowds in search of miraculous cures.

The canonization of Saint Joasaph of Belgorod took place on September 4, 1911. His Remembrance Day is on December 10.

Source: Orthodox icon | Saint Joasaph of Belgorod | 24964 © Ikonen Mautner. Typing errors, other errors or changes reserved. For more information: “Das Synaxarion. Die Leben der Heiligen der Orthodoxen Kirche.” (http://www.prodromos-verlag.de/buecher.html) and Joachim Schäfer: Das Ökumenische Heiligenlexikon – https://www.heiligenlexikon.de