Eupraxia of Moscow

Holy Venerable Eupraxia of Moscow, a nun, was a sister of Saint Alexis, Metropolitan of Moscow, and of the Venerable Juliana, abbess. Their family came from a line of boyars of Chernigov. In their parents' pious household were five sons and two daughters: Julia, who received the monastic name Eupraxia, and Uliana, that is Juliana.

Love for their elder brother led the two sisters to found a convent in honour of Saint Alexis the man of God, the monastic patron of their brother. The convent was first built at Ostozhye, on the site of today's Conception Convent in Moscow, a quiet place between the Ostozhenka river and the Moskva. Juliana was the first abbess, and Eupraxia was her faithful helper. They bore all the work of establishing the community together, and everything in the convent was done with the counsel and blessing of their elder brother, who had a cell by the south wall.

The sisters of Saint Alexis shone in the ascetic life. For their mercy, gentleness, spiritual wisdom and humility, they were honoured by the people as saints even in their lifetime. They were ready to help the hungry, the poor and the wronged who came under the roof of the convent, and in times of trouble for Russia they were comforters, intercessors and healers of the suffering.

Abbess Juliana reposed in the night leading to 3 May 1393 and was buried near the church. The chronicler of the time recorded her goodness with praise. A year later Eupraxia also reposed. Over their grave a chapel was soon built, and in 1766 a church on the same spot in honour of the icon of the Mother of God "Unburnt Bush", united in 1887 with the cathedral of the Nativity of the Mother of God and consecrated in honour of the Kazan icon.

After death the venerable sisters did not leave their convent, and the Lord granted them gifts, shown in many miracles at the earnest prayer of those who called on them. Towards the end of the nineteenth century documents for their canonization were prepared, but the events of 1917 prevented it. The glorification of the Venerable Juliana and Eupraxia took place in the year 2000. They are commemorated on 3 (16) May, that is 16 May new style, on 5 September, and in the Synaxis of the Saints of Moscow.