HONOURING ST. JOHN OF KORMA: A BELOVED BELARUSIAN SAINT
Dear Friends,
Christ is risen!
Today, we celebrate the legacy of the Holy Righteous John of Korma, a cherished Belarusian saint whose divine calling was foretold even before his birth.
A prophecy given to his mother while she was pregnant was the first sign of his future sanctity: a man, moved by the Spirit, approached her in church, bowed deeply, and proclaimed, “I would like to receive his blessing, but I will not live to see his glory.”
From a tender age, John was marked by exceptional piety. By four, he assisted his father, a priest, as an altar boy, and he dreamed of one day joining the monastic community at the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. As he matured into a respected priest, his pastoral works gained widespread recognition.
During the tumultuous times of the First World War, Father John’s compassion shone brightly as he aided many in need. In one notable act of kindness, he gave his own family’s cow to a struggling large family and blessed a widow to use his firewood throughout the winter after discovering she had been stealing it to stay warm.
Father John was also known for his prophetic insights. He foresaw the revolutionary changes of 1917 in Russia and the subsequent persecution of the Church, noting that these trials were permitted by God due to the people’s failure to live up to their Christian calling.
Read more about Father John’s virtuous life and his enduring impact in our featured article:
In his later years, Father John was blessed with the gift of healing, which he continues to extend to those in suffering through his intercession. At the small rural monastery of St. John in the Gomel region, where his relics now rest, countless testimonies of healing from ailments like cancer, AIDS, epilepsy, and addictions have been documented.
As we approach the day commemorating this remarkable saint, we invite you to send prayer requests for yourself and your loved ones to be included in a special service dedicated to him.
Through the prayers of the Holy Righteous John of Korma, may the Lord bring healing to our ailments, both of the body and of the spirit.