Venerable Elisha of Lavreshev

Archimandrite Nicholas in the "Historical and Statistical Description of the Minsk Diocese" reports that under Novogrudok in the place where the Dormition parish church now stands, a men's monastery was founded by Saint Elisha and dedicated to Saint Laurence around 1225.1 He also says that according to the Saint's Life in the Slavonic language, Elisha was the son of Prince Troinat, and occupied a high position at the court of Prince Mindovg. After he became a Christian, he left the court and retired to the wilderness, where he was discovered by an Orthodox monk (Saint Laurence?) with whom Elisha founded the Lavra. Among the brethren was Prince Voyshelk, who lived in a special place, however.

In those days, princes often killed each other and many died themselves at the hands of their treacherous servants or hired killers. It was during those bloody times that Igoumen Elisha was killed by his disciple, his young servant, on the night of October 23, around 1250.

After his death, the Saint's relics were glorified by miracles. According to an ancient legend, it was said that a demoniac was healed after accidentally touching Saint Elisha's relics.

Around 1505, when the Tatars, who had devastated the outskirts of Novogrudok, approached the monastery, the Lord worked another miracle through His Saint. It appeared to the Tatars that the monastery yard was filled with a squad of cavalry, and so they fled in terror.

This miracle was probably the reason for the canonization of the Saint Elisha by Metropolitan Joseph Soltan at a Council held in Vilna in 1514. The Saint's relics, which previously rested in the church ,were hidden in the ground during one of the wars, and after the monastery was burnt, they could not be found again. It is not known whether Saint Elisha was venerated only locally, or if his Feast Day was a general celebration.

Saint Elisha and Saint Laurence are also commemorated on the third Sunday of Pentecost (Synaxis of the Saints of Belorus).


1 Saint Laurence the Recluse of the Kiev Caves, and Bishop of Turov (+ January 29, 1194).