"I Have Seen a Holy Man, and I Am Happy"

Pskov Caves Monastery dedicated to the Dormition of the Thetokos, Ukraine
From the Pravoslavie.ru Orthodox Blog

I have seen a holy man.” On the Repose Day of Archimandrite John (Krestiankin)

"On February 5, 2006, the elder known throughout Russia, Archimandrite John (Krestiankin), reposed in the Lord. That day in 2006 also happened to be the eve of the celebration of the Holy New Martyrs of Russia, and many saw the blessed elder’s repose as the culmination of an era of confessors for the Orthodox Faith in the much-suffering Russian land. Father John had been imprisoned and tortured for his steadfast confession of the faith, and even after his release lived a life under constant watch by the Soviet authorities. It was not a simple time, and great wisdom and spirituality were required to guide his spiritual children through this life. Fr. John goes down in people’s memory as having those gifts in abundance.

Igumen Savvaty (Rudakov) The following is from the recollection of one of his spiritual sons, Igumen Savvaty (Rudakov). Fr. Savvaty is also the builder and father confessor of a monastery for women, which was established with Fr. John’s blessing.

Fr. Savvaty was raised in a pious Orthodox family, and answered the call to become a priest. But his heart’s desire was to find a spiritual father, even though everyone would say that there are no elders like the ancients, who could lead a person through life. Fr. Savvaty prayed and hoped, and finally God led him to Fr. John in the Pskov Caves Monastery.

Writer Olga Rozhneva talks with Fr. Savvaty about his beloved spiritual father, Archimandrite John (Krestiankin).

* * *

“There he is!”

Archimandrite John (Krestiankin) They say that a an instructor comes when the disciple is ready to hear him…

Fr. Savvaty remembers his first meeting with his future spiritual father as clearly as if it had happened only yesterday. But it actually happened rather long ago, in 1988. Fr. John was 78 at the time. The young priest came to the Pskov Caves monastery and arrived at the services in the largest church there—St. Michael’s cathedral. Before the services began, he as a priest was invited into the altar.

He waited in fear and trembling to meet the elder. A young priest was standing next to him, who had also come there for the first time. He had at least seen Fr. John before, but Fr. Savvaty hadn’t even the faintest idea of what the elder looked like. There were no photographs in those days, and Orthodox journals or newspapers were few and far between.

Then the side door to the altar opened and an elderly hieromonk entered. Or was he an Igumen? Fr. Savatty thought, “Maybe that is the elder? No, it’s probably not him…” Then another entered, a little older and completely gray. “Maybe him? Ho, not him…” More and more hieromonks enter the altar, but his heart was silent—no, I guess there is no elder here… Just then an elderly, gray-haired priest came in, and Fr. Savatty’s heart began to flutter, the feeling you get on a church feast day. “There he is!”

“I felt that I couldn’t be mistaken,” recalls Fr. Savatty. “The man who walked in was all luminous with an inner light! I quietly asked the deacon, “Is that Fr. John Krestiankin?” and the deacon answered, “Well of course it’s Fr. John Krestiankin! Don’t you know him?!”

But the young priest did not take offense at this criticism. The deacon was right—it’s impossible not to recognize Fr. John! He could not be confused with anyone else. And his heart told him, “There is my spiritual father!” 

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