Saint Joseph, Metropolitan of Astrakhan
Commemorated on May 11.
The Hieromartyr Joseph, First Metropolitan of Astrakhan, was born at Astrakhan in 1579. After becoming a monk, Saint Joseph was made Archimandrite of the Astrakhan Trinity monastery at the age of fifty-two.
In 1656 he was at Moscow, after which he was chosen to be Metropolitan of Astrakhan. On May 11,1672, during an uprising of the townspeople, Saint Joseph suffered martyrdom at Astrakhan. This sad event was recorded in detail by two eyewitnesses, priests of the Astrakhan cathedral, Cyril and Peter.
The priests took the body of the martyr, dressed it in bishop’s vestments, and placed it in a prepared grave. On the following day, after serving a Panikhida, the saint’s body was taken to a chapel, and it remained unburied for nine days. The relics of the holy hierarch were placed into the grave, and were soon glorified by miracles.
Saint Joseph was glorified at the Council of the Russian Orthodox Church in April 1918.
Troparion
You fought the good fight,
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crowning your life with torments for the truth,
you have moved to the heavenly abodes,
where, before the Throne of the Holy Trinity, O Hierarch Joseph,
you pray for the city of Astrakhan, and for our earthly homeland to be saved.
Kontakion
You shone as a bright star in Astrakhan, where you were born and raised,
and for your faithfulness to God, you suffered a martyric death.
Honoring your martyrdom, we cry to you:
“O Hierarch Joseph, who were killed by the rebels, pray to Christ God for our souls.”
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2 Timothy 4:7.