Saint Gerasimus, Bishop of Perm

Commemorated on January 24.

Saint Gerasimos (Gerásimos), Bishop of Great Perm and Ust-Vymsk, was the third Bishop of the newly-enlightened Zyryani people, and a worthy successor to Saint Stephen, the Enlightener of Perm (April 26). He was elevated to the See of Perm after 1416.

Although he lived far from the capital city, Saint Gerásimos participated in the Moscow Councils: one in 1438, which condemned the Union of Florence, as well as its proponent, Metropolitan Isidore of Kiev (1437–1441); and another in 1441, which decreed that the Metropolitans of All Russia would be chosen by a Council of Russian bishops. This indicates that his contemporaries valued his opinion, and that he possessed great authority. Without a doubt, at these Councils the Hierarch interceded for his flock before the Great Prince Basil II (1425–1462), requesting assistance and benefits for them. His new flock had suffered from raids by the Novgorodians, especially from the pagan Vogulians. He went to their camps urging them to stop pillaging the villages of the defenseless Christians of Perm.

Saint Gerásimos was murdered by a Vogulian servant during one of his journeys through Perm in 1441 (according to Tradition, he was strangled with his omophorion). He was buried in the cathedral church of the First Hierarchs of Perm, which later became the Annunciation church in the village of Ust-Vyma, northeast of the city of Yarenga, by the Vychegda River.

His Feast Day was established in 1607. On January 29 there is a joint commemoration of the three Perm Hierarchs: Gerasimos, Pitirim, and Jonah.