Theodore of Sanaksar

Venerable Theodore of Sanaksar (born Ivan Ignatievich Ushakov, 1718 to 1791) was a hieromonk and renewer of the Sanaksar monastery, uncle of the admiral Fyodor Ushakov. He was glorified on 10 to 11 July 1999 as a locally venerated saint in the diocese of Saransk, and in 2004 the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church glorified him for veneration in the whole Church. He is commemorated on 21 April (Old Style, in a common year; another day in a leap year), on 23 May (the finding of his relics, in the Synaxis of the Saints of Rostov) and on the day of his repose.

Life

He was born in 1718 near the village of Burnakovo, between the towns of Romanov (today Tutaev) and Rybinsk, in the Yaroslavl province, on the family estate of Ignatius Vasilievich (1670 to 1753) and Irina Vasilievna (died 1724) Ushakov, and received at baptism the name John. He was tonsured a monk at the Alexander Nevsky monastery on 13 August 1748, in the presence of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna; the tonsure was performed by the abbot of the monastery, Archbishop Theodosius (Yankovsky) of Saint Petersburg, who gave him the name Theodore, after Grand Prince Theodore Rostislavich of Smolensk. In 1757 he received leave to go to the Sarov hermitage. On 10 August 1764 he became superior of the Sanaksar monastery.

He reposed on 19 February 1791 and was buried on the north side of the church he built. On the grave a slab of slate was laid with the inscription: "Here is buried the seventy-⁠three-⁠year-⁠old elder, Hieromonk Theodore, by surname Ushakov, renewer of the Sanaksar monastery, who was tonsured at the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, continued the monastic life forty-⁠five years and reposed with all the qualities of a true Christian and good monk on 19 February 1791".

Veneration

On 10 to 11 July 1999 he was glorified among the locally venerated saints of the diocese of Saransk. His relics are in the Nativity of the Mother of God cathedral of the Sanaksar monastery. In 2004 he was glorified for veneration in the whole Church by the Council of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church.