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Archimandrite Ioann (Krestyankin) passed away in the Lord

5.02.2006 · Архив 2005-2009, События  

Archimandrite Ioann (Krestyankin), a monk of the Monastery of the Caves in Pskov, passed away in the Lord at 09.30 a.m. on 5 February 2006 after taking Holy Communion.

Archbishop Evsevy of Pskov and Velikie Luki announced this sad news at the Divine Liturgy in the Pskov cathedral church of the Trinity. After the Liturgy Bishop Evsevy and the clergymen celebrated a prayer service to the New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia, as this was their commemoration day, and after that – Requiem service for the deceased elder. Bishop Evsevy said in his archpastoral homily: ‘Funeral dirge of our Mother Church was sung for the New Martyrs and the late Archimandrite Ioann who also endured torments and was persecuted by the Soviet power’.

Fr. Ioann was born in Orel on 11 April 1910. He was the eighth child of Mikhail Dmitrievich and Elizaveta Illarionovna Krestyankins and served in the church from his childhood.

After secondary school Ivan Krestyankin took a course of accountants and after moving to Moscow worked as an accountant. On 14 January 1945 Metropolitan Nikolai (Yarushevich) ordained him deacon in the church at the Vagankovo cemetery. On 25 October that same year, a feast day of the Jerusalem icon of the Mother of God, Patriarch Alexy I ordained deacon Ioann into priesthood. Rev. Ioann served in the Church of the Nativity of Christ in Izmailovo district of Moscow.

Rev. Ioann took an external theological seminary degree. In 1950, after four years of the Moscow Theological Academy, he was writing his doctoral thesis, but did not manage to complete it. Known as a zealous servant of the Church, Rev. Ioann was arrested on 30 April 1950 and sentenced to seven years of labour camps. However, he was released in 1955 and continued as priest in the Pskov diocese, and later in the Ryazan diocese.

He took his monastic vows on 10 June 1966. The next year hieromonk Ioann became a monk of the Monastery of the Caves in Pskov. He was elevated to the rank of hegumen in 1970, and to the rank of archimandrite on 7 April 1973.

Many Orthodox Christians from all corners of our country and from abroad used to come to him for advice and spiritual help. In his declining years Rev. Ioann was not able to personally meet people, but received letters from around the world. His answers to some of the letters were published. His book ‘Letters of Archimandrite Ioann (Krestyankin)’ has been published in several editions, his published sermons have been widely known, as well as other books, including ‘The Experience of Confession’.

Last April Archimandrite Ioann (Krestyankin) celebrated his 95th birthday. His Holiness Patriarch Alexy warmly greeted him and awarded him with the Order of St.Seraphim of Sarov, 1st class.

Burial service will be held in the Assumption Monastery of the Caves in Pskov on Tuesday, February 7.