Saint Isaiah the Wonderworker, Bishop of Rostov
Saint Isaiah was born near Kiev to pious parents who raised him in the Orthodox Faith. In his youth, he forsook worldly vanity and entered the Kiev Caves Monastery, where he was tonsured by Saint Theodosios († May 3, 1074). Aflame with love for the Savior, the young monk engaged in the difficult struggles of fasting and prayer. At the same time, he was meek, humble, obedient, non-acquisitive, fraternal, and he mortified the carnal passions through abstinence and patience, as well as the virtues of wisdom, spiritual courage, and chastity. He recalled the words of an ancient Elder: "A man's strength does not depend upon human nature, which is subject to change, but upon resolute intention." Strengthened by God's help, he constantly ascended in spirit to the heavenly Jerusalem.1
News of the young monk Isaiah's ascetical struggles soon spread beyond the Monastery. And when Barlaam, the first Igoumen of the Monastery reposed, a Monastery was built in the courtyard of the Great Prince Iziaslav of Kiev, and dedicated to the Holy Great Martyr Dēmḗtrios. In 1065, Prince Iziaslav asked Saint Theodosios to elevate Father Isaiah to the rank of Igoumen of that Monastery because of his virtuous life. Saint Theodosios gave his blessing, and Father Isaiah became the Igoumen. After receiving this high office, the blessed one was a good mentor for the brethren and a good shepherd of Christ's rational flock. As Igoumen, he always thought of the Lord, and continued to abide in humility and in spiritual and corporeal labors. Seeing such a holy man in his Monastery, Prince Iziaslav rejoiced in spirit, thanking the Lord and Saint Theodosios for granting his desire.
In 1078, Saint Isaiah, who was proficient in piety and filled with divine grace, took part in the joint prayer of the Elders of the Caves for the ascetic Nikḗtas (January 31), who had been deceived by a demon (later he became the Bishop of Novgorod). After the podvig2 of monastic life for three years, and then serving as Igoumen for ten years, Saint Isaiah was called to exercise an apostolic ministry.
In 1078, Saint Isaiah was consecrated as Bishop of Rostov, where there were still many pagans at that time. The Diocese of Rostov encompassed a vast territory which included Yaroslavl, Vladimir, Nizhny Novgorod, Kostroma, Vologda, and part of Moscow, Tver, and Olonets. The pagan inhabitants of the region clung to many superstitions, bloody customs, divination, and sorcery. The good shepherd Saint Leontius of Rostov († May 23, 1073) labored hard for the enlightenment of the Rostov region, but still more pagans were to be found there by his valiant successor. Saint Isaiah worked zealously, planting the seeds of Orthodoxy among the inhabitants of his large Diocese, he also built a cathedral in Rostov in honor of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos.
According to his ancient Life, Saint Isaiah "found the newly-illumined people, who had not yet been firmly established in the Faith," and so he began to instruct them. He travelled around with apostolic zeal, preaching about Christ in the Diocese of Rostov, persuading them of the folly of idolatry, and destroying the pagan idols. Saint Isaiah begged his flock to remain strong in their faith, and to imitate Christ in their life. He repeated his message everywhere he went: "As many of you who have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ" (Galatians 3:27).
In a stikheron from his Church Service, the spirit of Saint Isaiah's ministry is perfectly expressed: "What shall we call you O Hierarch? Angel, for you lived on earth as one incorporeal; Apostle, for you taught the true Faith to the ends of Russia; Martyr, because for the sake of Christ you fought until death, turning people from the darkness of wickedness and bringing them to the pasture of godly reason."
It was a great consolation to Saint Isaiah to have the Great Prince Vladimir Monomakh participate in his ministry. The Great Prince gave money to build a cathedral at Rostov in honor of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos, in which there was a wonderworking icon painted by Saint Alypios of the Kiev Caves (August 17). Christ's Hierarch Isaiah treated the poor, the unfortunate, and all those in need with love.
The Lord glorified His servant by working many signs and miracles through him. In 1089, "borne on a cloud like the Apostles of old,"3 Bishop Isaiah was able to be present at the consecration of the "heavenly" church of the Dormition of the Mother of God at the Kiev Caves Monastery.
When it was time for the consecration of the Dormition cathedral at the Kiev Caves Lavra, Metropolitan John of Kiev did not have time to invite the God-loving Bishops from distant lands to attend the Service. But his pious wish was granted by an Angel of God who appeared to Bishop Isaiah and told him to attend the ceremony. Then, miraculously, the Angel brought him to the Kiev Caves Lavra, and he was able to participate in the consecration. He himself, marveling at his wondrous journey, told Metropolitan John about it, saying that he did not dare to disobey his order by not coming to the consecration of the temple. The First Hierarch of Russia was amazed by what he heard, for there was no time to invite the Bishops. This miraculous journey was the fruit of Saint Isaiah's obedience and zeal for the church of God. Three bishops, Isaiah of Rostov, Luke of Belgorod, and John of Chernigov, served with Metropolitan John at the consecration of the church of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos on August 14, 1089, and then Bishop Isaiah returned to his flock, which welcomed him with great joy.
After that, Saint Isaiah shepherded his flock of Rostov for less than a year. He departed from this world in the summer after the Nativity of Christ (on May 15, 1090) after thirteen years as a Bishop. The same Angel who bore him to Kiev for the consecration of the church, also carried his soul to dwell in the heavenly abodes for eternity.
The relics of Saint Isaiah were first found together with the relics of Saint Leontius on May 23, 1164. The Holy Right-believing Prince Andrew Bogolyubsky (July 4) laid the foundation for a new stone church in Rostov to replace the wooden one damaged by a fire in 1160. While excavating the foundation under the southern wall, the relics of Saint Isaiah were found. According to ancient Tradition and the Chronicle: "The coffin of blessed Isaiah was found, and when they opened it, they saw the Saint's vestments and body were incorrupt, and they glorified God, Who was pleased to glorify His servant not only in life, but also in death. Though many years had passed, the Hierarch's vestments and his body remained untouched by decay."
The Saint's relics were placed in the church of Saint John, and since the stone church collapsed as soon as it was completed, the relics were moved to the cathedral in 1231 and placed in the narthex, on the right side.
Over the years, however, the memory of Saint Isaiah's miracles was forgotten, so that not even a lamp was lit over his tomb, nor did any priest come with incense to serve a Panikhida for him, because the narthex was always closed. It was not fitting, however, for such a great lamp to remain hidden under a bushel (Matthew 5:15). According to the manuscript Life, "The Archbishop, seeing that the icon of Saint Isaiah was venerated by all, and also his coffin (in the narthex of the cathedral), he summoned the priests on May 17 and opened the coffin of this most wondrous Father. He took him from there in 1474 and placed him in a new coffin with honor, near the southern doors, where he still works miracles of healing."
The first Archbishop of Rostov was Theodore in 1390, and the ecclesiastical veneration of Saint Isaiah began in 1474, at the time of the transfer of his relics to the church. The first written Life of Saint Isaiah also belongs to that same time. In 1722 the relics were moved to a silver casket.
On April 25, 1920, by the decision of the Tenth Rostov District Congress of Soviets, despite the protests of believers, the relics of Saint Isaiah, and the relics of Saints Ignatius and Dēmḗtrios (Tuptalo), Venerable Abraham of Rostov, and Saint Euphrosyne of Polotsk were exhibited naked in the center of the Dormition Cathedral. A week later, the shrines with the relics of the Saints were returned to their places. Subsequently, the relics of Saint Isaiah were placed in a closed wooden shrine in the Dormition Cathedral. At the end of the 1980s, some of the relics were brought to the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, some were given to Archbishop Platon (Udovenko) of Yaroslavl and Rostov. Now the honorable head of Saint Isaiah is kept in the Serapion tent in the Lavra, and a portion of the relics is in Rostov's Dormition Cathedral, in an ark handed over on June 5, 1999 to the diocesan administrator of Yaroslavl and Rostov, Archbishop Micah (Kharkharov).
In the "Iconographer's Manual" a description of the Saint's external appearance is given: "Our Father among the Saints Bishop Isaiah of Rostov, the wonderworker, a pointed beard like that of Saint Blaise. The Saint's phelonion is red, with a green lining, a white omophorion, a white knobuk on his head, and he holds a Gospel in his hands."
Saint Isaiah is also commemorated on May 23, the Synaxis of the Saints of Rostov - Yaroslavl.
1 Hebrews 12:22; Revelation 21:2, 21:10)
2 Podvig = ascetical effort, spiritual struggle.
3 See the Feast of the Dormition on August 15.