Pachomius the Russian

Saint Pachomius the Russian (in the world Prokopy, died 1730) the venerable martyr was a Ukrainian from Little Russia, taken captive by the Tatars, made to live for years among the Turks without denying Christ, then a monk on Athos and finally a martyr at Ușak in Asia Minor. He received the martyr's death by beheading on 7 May 1730. He is commemorated on 7 May. His incorrupt relics lie on the island of Patmos, in the monastery of Saint John the Theologian.

Captivity

He was born in Little Russia (Ukraine), in the second half of the seventeenth century, to devout parents. In youth he was carried off by the Tatars, who then made frequent raids on Ukraine, and sold as a slave to a Turk, a tanner by trade, in the town of Ușak, in the region of Philadelphia (in Anatolia). The Russian source says that he stayed there twenty-⁠seven years, the Ukrainian one that he spent twenty years in slavery. The Muslim taught him the trade and tried in every way to turn him to Islam, but Prokopy, who had become skilled and diligent in the craft, would not even hear of Muhammad's teaching. The Turk beat him with sticks, threatened and starved him, and the young man bore it all with joy and firmness. Seeing that he could not move him with threats or beatings, he tried a ruse: he had an unmarried daughter, and began to flatter him and offer him the girl as wife, promising him all his property. But the young man firmly rejected the offers, preferring purity of soul and body to all the treasures of the world and repeating in his heart the apostle's words: "Who shall separate us from the love of God? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?" (Romans 8:35). In the end the master freed him and let him go wherever he wished.

On Athos

Prokopy glorified the Lord and was getting ready for the road when he fell gravely ill. The neighbouring Turks, learning of it and not wishing to let him out of their hands, wanted to turn the illness to their advantage. They gathered in the house where the sick man lay and spread the lie that during fits he had renounced Christ and given them his word to become a Muslim if he recovered. When he began to recover, they forcibly dressed him in Turkish clothes, without performing circumcision. However he denied it, however he cursed Muhammad and his teaching, the Turks would not hear, saying only that he had once and for all renounced his faith and belonged to their prophet.

Prokopy went indignantly to Smyrna, in the guise of a merchant, then, throwing off the Turkish clothes, fled to the Holy Mountain Athos, where he settled near the monastery of Saint Paul, with a pious elder, Joseph, who had the gift of discernment. He spent twelve years in obedience, receiving from this elder monastic tonsure with the name Pachomius and confessing everything that had happened to him. At that time in the skete of Kavsokalyvia the elder Acacius was famed for his wonderful life. Pachomius had often heard of his struggle and, wanting to follow him and learn by experience the true monastic life, moved to him. For six years he was under the guidance of the venerable Acacius, feeding himself by the labour of his hands, until he himself became an example of asceticism and an adornment of fasters, so that all loved him and sought to follow his life.

The confession

While he was growing strong in the spiritual life, his heart trembled at the thought of whether he had in truth renounced Christ in a fit of illness or unconsciousness. For a long time he could not overcome this disturbance of soul and finally opened himself to his spiritual father, asking his blessing for the labour of martyrdom. The elder, thinking it a sign of pride and not the working of the Spirit, rebuked him and drove him away. Pachomius persisted for a whole year, and the elder beat him, humbled him and gave him obediences beyond his strength. Finally, seeing that he did not give up the desire for a martyr's death, the elder prayed with him to God to reveal His holy will. Then they asked the counsel of the elder Acacius and other elders known at that time, who blessed him for this labour.

Pachomius, accompanied by the elder Joseph, set out from Athos to his former master, in the town of Ușak. There the Turks recognized him at once, seized him and brought him to their effendi, the head of the town, saying that Pachomius had been a slave of their neighbour and of his own will had renounced Christ, had been received into Islam and dressed in Muslim clothes, and now had changed his word and put on Christian monastic dress. The holy martyr answered that these testimonies were false, for he had never renounced Christ, the true God. When he chose death for faith in Christ, he was taken to prison and stayed two days without food or water. On the third day the judges decided to put him to death, and the jailer told him the news. The martyr heard the sentence, glorified God and spent the night in praise and prayer. In the morning he was brought to the judge for a last torture and again confessed his faith. When they bound him and led him to the place of execution, a multitude of Turks and Christians followed. The Muslims mocked him, spitting at him, while the Christians prayed for him. Arrived at the place, the saint knelt, and the executioner quietly urged him not to lose his life for nothing, but to renounce Christ and enjoy the earthly happiness Muhammad gives to his faithful servants. But the venerable martyr Pachomius did not renounce Christ. His holy head was cut off, and the executioner, as soon as he had cut off the martyr's head, began to thrash about like one possessed.