On February 24, the relics of St. Macarius of Altai (Glukharev) were found in the crypt-tomb of the monastery of the Trinity Church in the Trinity Nativity of the Theotokos Optina Convent in the city of Bolkhov, Oryol region. Metropolitan Tikhon of Oryol and Bolkhov, in the concelebration of the clergy, glorified the saint.
Vladyka Tikhon celebrated an all-night vigil at the relics of St. Macarius of Altai.
The shrine will be located until May 2024 in the Epiphany Cathedral of the city of Orel. Later, part of the relics of St. Macarius of Altai will be transferred to the Altai Metropolis. The right hand of the saint will be kept in the Trinity Optina Monastery of Bolkhov.
In the coming days, a video about the finding of the relics of St. Macarius of Altai will be released on the website and in the communities of the Orel Metropolis on social networks.
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The Venerable Archimandrite Macarius (in the world — Mikhail Yakovlevich Glukharev; 1792 — May 15 (31), 1847) is known as an Orthodox missionary and translator. His translation of the Old Testament was used in the work on the Synodal translation of the Bible into Russian.
Even as a child, Makarii had rare linguistic abilities, and by the age of 20 he had mastered Hebrew, German and French.
He graduated from the St. Petersburg Theological Academy, was tonsured a monk and appointed rector of the Kostroma Theological Seminary. In 1821, he was elevated to the rank of archimandrite and appointed rector of the Kostroma Epiphany Monastery.
Later in Moscow, Archimandrite Makarii received a blessing for missionary work from Metropolitan Filaret (Drozdov). In 1830, he arrived in Altai, where he engaged in educating the local population. Here, during thirteen and a half years of missionary service, Father Makarii baptized about 700 adult Altaians and more than 700 of their children.
Archimandrite Macarius did not abandon the task of translation until the end of his life. Realizing that it would not be possible to publish the translation in Russia, he wanted to print it abroad. He applied for his dismissal from the title of head of the Altai mission and for permission to go on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. But he was not immediately released on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. By the decision of the Synod, he was appointed rector of the Bolkhovsky Trinity Optina Monastery of the Oryol diocese.
Finding himself in the Orel diocese instead of Palestine, Macarius found that there was a wide field for missionary work here.
It turned out that even the mayor did not know the Creed, but only knew "Our Father." Then, surprised and outraged by this, the archimandrite ordered adults to come to the monastery and send children.
People were constantly coming to the future saint. He accepted them during the day, and continued the transfers at night. He also took care of the mission, raised funds and acquired new employees for it.
Archimandrite Macarius managed to obtain permission to leave for Jerusalem. Abroad, Father Makariy was going to print the translations he had made, but on the eve of the trip he became very ill and died in 1847.
Archimandrite Macarius was buried in the crypt-tomb of the Trinity Church of the Trinity Optina monastery of Bolkhov.
He was canonized by the Bishops' Council of the Russian Orthodox Church in 2000. It is part of the original structure of the Cathedral of the Oryol Saints.