Saint Procopius of Sázava, April 14

An online Synaxaristes including martyrologies and hagiographies of the lives of the Orthodox Church's saints. All Forum Rules apply. No polemics. No heated discussions. No name-calling.
Post Reply
User avatar
Maria
Archon
Posts: 8428
Joined: Fri 11 June 2004 8:39 pm
Faith: True Orthodox Christian
Jurisdiction: GOC
Location: USA

Saint Procopius of Sázava, April 14

Post by Maria »

For April 14

  • Today is the Feast of Saint Procopius of Sázava (Sv. Prokop), Lounovice pod Blaníkem, Czech Republic

    The biographical features of Saint Procopius appear only dimly in the mists of a distant age, in the dawn of the Christian history of central Europe. Saint Procopius was born into a Christian family in the newly-evangelized Bohemia of the late tenth century. This area had been evangelized by Saints Cyril and Methodios and the Faith grew rapidly. Saint Wenceslaus was a significant part of this history.

    With the encouragement of his parents, Saint Procopius prepared himself for priesthood. He was ordained in or soon after the year 1003. Within a short time, though, he discovered that his thirst for God required a more intense form of discipleship, and so he entered the monastic life, possibly in Hungary.

    So advanced was Saint Procopius in the quest for perfection that his abbot granted his request to devote himself to God as a hermit. Sometime after 1029, he returned to his native land, still living as a hermit, but with the dream of being the means by which a monastery might be established among the Czech people.

    Living in the Sazava Valley, he soon became known and respected by the local population. One day he encountered a group of hunters, led by Duke Oldrich. The two men entered into a long conversation, and so impressed was the Duke by Procopius’ transparent sanctity that he decided to support the monk’s lofty desires.

    A monastery was therefore established, governed by Saint Procopius in accordance with the traditions of Saints Cyril and Methodius. For the remainder of his life, the Saint served his community as abbot, and his fame apparently spread as far as Russia. Numerous stories of cures and other miracles are associated with the holy abbot. One famous account, symbolizing Christian triumph over sin and temptation, tells of Saint Procopius hitching the devil to a plow and compelling that otherwise useless entity to dig a ditch along the river-bank.

    Saint Procopius reposed in 1053, one year before the Pope split himself away from the Church. His monastery at Sazava survived until 1785, and the saint continues to be revered by the Czech nation.

    In Christ,
    +Fr. Panagiotes

This was sent to me courtesy of the email group of Fr. Panagiotes.

Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me a sinner.

Post Reply