Misail of Abalak

Venerable Misail of Abalak (in the world Pavel Ivanovich Fokin) was a hieromonk of the Russian Orthodox Church, a cleric of the diocese of Tobolsk, born on 29 June 1797 in the village of Lipoyarskoe, in the Tobolsk province, and fell asleep on 19 August 1852. He was glorified in 1984 in the synaxis of the saints of Siberia, among the venerable. He is remembered, on the old calendar, on 10 June, in the synaxis of the Siberian saints, and on 17 December.

Youth

He was born in the family of the deacon Ioann Kuzmich Fokin of Lipoyarskoe and was baptized Pavel. He received his first schooling at home, from his grandfather Kuzma, who taught him to read. In 1806 he was placed in the theological seminary at Tobolsk and lived with some relatives, priests' widows. In 1817 he finished the seminary. His parents wished to see him a priest and proposed that he marry, but Pavel had an inclination toward monastic life. Not receiving his parents' blessing to enter a monastery, he first became a psalm-⁠reader at the church of Saints Peter and Paul in Tobolsk, with ordination to the stichar, and in May 1818 was appointed teacher of Latin grammar at the Tobolsk seminary, where the library was also entrusted to him.

Village priest

Less than a year later the seminary was reorganized and Pavel was left without a place. Then in his native village a priest's place fell vacant. Pavel yielded to his parents' urging and in January 1819 married Tatiana, the daughter of the village priest. On 2 March 1819 Archbishop Ambrose (Kelembet) of Tobolsk ordained him priest at the Epiphany church in Lipoyarskoe. From the marriage were born a son, Mikhail, who became a priest and, left a widower, was tonsured a monk, and two daughters, who became priests' wives. Family life did not draw him away from the care of the parish, for his wife took on all the work of the household.

In January 1824 he was moved to the newly built church of the Holy Prophet Elijah in the hamlet of Gotopupova, in the Ishim district. In 1829 he was appointed dean, but this office tore him away from serving the parish, which had no other priest, and he asked to be moved to a church with two or three priests. The request was granted and in September 1832 he was moved to the church of Saints Peter and Paul in Abatskaya Sloboda, seventy versts from Ishim.

Monk

On 2 April 1839 his wife, Tatiana, died. Not wishing to remain a widowed priest in a village parish, Pavel asked the archbishop of Tobolsk to be admitted among the brethren of the Znamensky monastery at Abalak. By decision of the consistory of 23 June 1839 the request was granted and on 17 December of the same year the rector of the Tobolsk seminary, Archimandrite Euthymius (Miloslavov), tonsured him a monk with the name Misail. Archbishop Athanasius (Protopopov) appointed him treasurer in the monastery, but Misail had neither the experience nor the inclination for housekeeping, and Abbot Anthony took the treasurer's work on himself.

In March 1843 the new archbishop of Tobolsk, Vladimir (Alyavdin), called Misail from the Abalak monastery to Tobolsk and appointed him priest of the Cross church of the bishop's house, with the duty of confessor of the archbishop himself and of the city clergy. He was also entrusted with hearing the confessions of those entering the priesthood. In 1845 a new archbishop, George (Yashchurzhinsky), came to Tobolsk, who loved special exactness in the performance of the services. He personally examined all who sought a place as priest or deacon and, if the result was poor, sent them to Father Misail to be taught the order of the services, reading, singing and the delivery of sermons. For six and a half years Misail held this office of teacher and examiner.

Repose

In July 1852 the holy treasure of Siberia, the Abalak icon of the Mother of God, came to Tobolsk, as was the custom. Misail served molebens before it without ceasing, but those present noticed in him an unusual weariness and a sickly look. He was told to go and rest. Misail went into his cell, lay down and could not rise again. He fell asleep after receiving the Holy Mysteries of Christ, on 19 August 1852. The funeral service was performed by the new archbishop Eulampius (Pyatnitsky), who had come to Tobolsk, with the city clergy. He was buried at the church of the bishop's house outside the city. In 1984 he was glorified in the synaxis of the saints of Siberia, among the venerable.