Biography Gerasimos

Gerasim (Abbot Spassova Desert) (died 1700) – Hieroschemamonk, former rector of the desert Spasov (now the Savior-Transfiguration Monastery at 5 miles from Krasnoslobodsk Penza Province.), C. 1655, a young man came to the "black elder," Dionysius, "vozgrazhdavshemu "while Spassova deserts. Postrigshis in 1660, Gerasim went over the 80 miles of desert in the virgin forest between Temnikova and Arzamas, and dwelt on the "old castle mound, washed by the rivers and Satis Sarovkoy at the point where at the beginning of XVIII century was based Sarov Hermitage. Here he lived at first with another hermit – Theodosius, and after leaving it in complete solitude, first in the cave, and then built in his own cell. Gerasim led quite a life, what were all the old Russian hermits who went into the woods. He was digging with a hoe the land, sowed grain and planted vegetables, chopping wood, collected in the forest "zelie, eating bread and rotten wood and chaff, black as coal, and hard as stone." By Gerasim started coming laymen and monks, and all of them "preached by divine Scripture; came to him and the future founder of the Sarov Hermitage monk Arzamas Vvedensky Monastery of Isaac (in schema John). According to legend, Gerasim foresaw that "please God to glorify this place, heard over his" mound "wonderful ringing, saw coming down from heaven a great light. Echoes Razin rebellion reached and to the desert Gerasimos; he tolerate "Temptation" from worried local Mordovians and from robbers. Gerasim returned to Spasov deserts, but settled in the sewage Qilya in 5 miles of desert on the river Ryabkov, where he continued his former ascetic lifestyle, teaching "of Scripture, all those who came to him. In 1682 the monks begging him to become a dean. Despite his aloofness from the world, he managed to defend the estates of the monastery of attempt on the integrity of their neighbors and get a 1686 royal charter to the monastery is strengthened all of its holdings. Gerasim nastoyatelstvo soon left and returned to the former solitary life. He died about 1700 and buried in the desert near the wooden cathedral church. After building a stone cathedral church grave Gerasim went up to the church. The coffin was opened it twice, in 1792, and in half of the XIX century, and his body was incorrupt and invested in the not rotten shimnicheskie clothes. Last time with Gerasimos, lying in a coffin, were written off "image" and put on his tomb. Visitors to the monastery pilgrims consider it their duty to serve the funeral services at the grave devotee. Life Gerasim written his disciples – the founder of the Sarov Hermitage ieroshimonahom John. "Church. Vedomosti, ed. when the Holy Synod, 1890, № 34, "Communal Sarov Hermitage and memorable monks, who had chambers in it", MM, 1864, 9-11; "Lives fatherlands. ascetics XVIII and XIX centuries", VIII, 293-307 . V.Sh.