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Our father among the [[saint]]s '''Stephen of Perm''' was a fourteenth-century Russian [[missionary]] who is known as the ''Enlightener of Perm and [[Apostle]] to the Zyrians'' for bringing Orthodox Christianity to the Zyriane (Komi) people. To facilitate his [[missionary ]] activities, he developed an alphabet for the Komi (Permic) language. St. Stephen’s [[feast day]] is [[April 26]].

In 1379, Hierodeacon Stephen traveled to Moscow to see Bp. Gerasimus of Kolomna to receive his permission to teach the Holy Faith to the people of Perm. The [[bishop]] agreed, ordained Stephen as a [[hieromonk]], and provided him with an [[antimension]], holy [[chrism]], and service books. Thus prepared, Stephen began his [[mission ]] among the Zariane, along the Vyahegda and Vym rivers.

For the next seventeen years as a [[missionary ]], Stephen worked with [[humility]] and kindness among the Zariane, bringing enlightenment to them. Slowly he was able to convert many of the Zyrians, but not without adversity. One pagan priest, Pam, was greatly influential in keeping many from [[baptism]]. In their debates, the pagan priest finally challenged Stephen to walk through fire and water as a test of whose faith was better. Not expecting Stephen to agree, Pam was taken aback when Stephen immediately directed the people to burn a building and offered his hand to Pam so that they could walk together through the fire. But Pam refused, even with urging by the Zyrians. The upset people were ready to kill Pam. Stephen intervened and insisted only that Pam be exiled forever. The result was that many Zyrians became Christians.

With the growing success of his [[mission ]] Stephen was called in 1383 by Pimen, Metropolitan of all Russia, who consecrated him the first bishop of Perm. Stephen continued his [[mission]], and as the number of converts grew he built churches and encouraged the opening of schools next to the churches. The schools taught the Holy Scriptures in the Permian language. Stephen supervised the curriculum, which prepared the students with what they needed to know to become [[deacon]]s and [[priest]]s. They were taught to use Stephen’s alphabet to both read and write. Many of these Zyrians became the clergy in the expanding network of churches. Stephen encouraged the Zyrians to establish a number of monasteries, including the Savior Ulianov Monastery in the wilderness and the Stephanov Monastery near Ust-Sysolsk, as well as the Ust-Vym and Yareng Archangel monasteries.

The success of Stephen’s [[mission ]] in Vychegda Perm raised concern in [[Novgorod]], which exercised control of tribute over the region. In 1385, a Novgorodian armed force sent to control the new civilization was fended off. The following year, 1386, Stephen visited the [[Archbishop]] of Novgorod, at which point Novgorod acknowledged the new [[missionary ]] situation. These events were the forerunner to the shift of influence in northern Russia, in which control of the north and its wealth were to pass from Novgorod to Moscow.