The new saint [[File:0321 Serafim.jpg|right|thumb|Icon of the Orthodox Russian Church, St. Seraphim of Vyritsa.]]Our venerable and God-bearing Father '''Seraphim of ViritsaVyritsa''' (1866-1949) is one of about 1200 saints whom the Hierarchical Synod of the Orthodox Church of Russia proclaimed in 2000 AD. He is a contemporary sanctified figure adorned monastic known especially with the gift for his gifts of [[prophecy ]] and [[miracle ]]-working. He is renouned also known for a letter that he sent to his spiritual child, a bishop, who was in a Soviet prison at that time; this homily "[[This was from me]]" is written as a consolation and counsel to the bishop to let him know that God the Creator, addresses to the soul of man. <!—When He is one of about 1200 persons whom the Hierarchical Synod of the Orthodox [[Church of Russia]] proclaimed [[saint]]s in 2000 AD. St. Seraphim is he commemorated, I have hunted by the Internet and can not find a date-->Church on [[March 21]].

The new St. Seraphim, of Viritsa was born Basil Mouraviov in 1866; he [[marriage|married ]] and had three children. Before agreeing with his wife to separate and enter into the [[monastic ]] life, he once saw a dream which he later related to his [[spiritual father]], [[monk ]] Barnabas of the Gethsemane [[Skete]]. In this dream, he was on a [[pilgrimage ]] to visit a [[monastery ]] of St. Nicholas and on the way there he lost his way and ventured into a forest. In the forest, an old man asked him for directions to that same monastery; the old man had a satchel on his back and an axe in his hand. He realised that this man was St. [[Serpahim Seraphim of Sarov]]. The old man sat under a tree and was very soon joined by Basil's very own spiritual father, Barnabas. In this vision, even though Basil could see that he was sitting inbetween between both fathers, he could not hear the discussion they were having.

At the age of 54, in 1920, he and his wife quietly separated and entered the [[monastic]] life. His wife entered the female monastery of the all All-Holy Virgin Mary of Iveron Iviron of St. Petersburg and adopted the name "Christina" when tonsured a nun. He entered the Lavra of St. Alexander Nevsky as a novice, in September of 1920, and a month later was [[tonsuredtonsure]] d a monk , taking on the name of "Barnabas.". He was [[ordination|ordained ]] a [[deacon]] soon after , and on [[August 29]] of , 1921, Father Barnabas was ordained a [[presbyter ]] by [[Metropolitan ]] Benjamin Kazanski.

He was renamed "Seraphim" in 1927, in honour of St. [[Seraphim of Sarov]], when he entered the Great Habit. He eventually became the spiritual father of the St. Alexander Nevsky Lavra in St. Petersburg, where, as a clairvoyant [[geronta|staretz]], he also [[confession|confessed ]] thousands of [[laity]]. He said, “I "I am the storage room where people’s people's afflictions gather.” " In imitation of his [[patron saint]], he [[prayer|prayed ]] for a thousand nights on a rock before an [[icon ]] of St. Seraphim of Sarov. He reposed in the Lord in 1949 , and the [[Church of Russia ]] glorified him in August of 2000.

==See also==*[[This was from me]] ==Sources==*[http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/general/stseraphimofviritsa.aspx Excerpts from ''The New Saint of the Russian Church, Seraphim of Viritsa''] translated from the Greek by Fr. Nicholas Palis*[http://www.geekorthodox.org/saint-seraphim-of-viritsa Saint Seraphim of Viritsa]*[http://www.impantokratoros.gr/6B9733D4.en.aspx Spiritual Heritage of Father Seraphim] ==External Sourceslinks==*[http://www.orthodoxinfo.com/praxis/saint-seraphim-of-viritsa-this-was-from-me.aspx St. Saint Seraphim of Viritsa's Spiritual Testament: "This Was From Me"] – Orthodox Info websiteby Metropolitan Manuel Lemeshevsky*[http://wwwocafs.geekorthodoxoca.org/saint-seraphim-FeastSaintsViewer.asp?SID=4&ID=1&FSID=103710 Venerable Seraphim of-viritsa Virits] ([[OCA]])*[http://www.impantokratoros.gr/AF9DAB7D.en.aspx Counsels οf Saint Seraphim οf Viritsa] Greek Orthodox dot Org