St. Sergius of Radonezh

St. Sergius of Radonezh was born Bartholomew about 1314 near Rostov in Russia, of a noble family impoverished by the troubles of the age. With his brother he withdrew into the deep forest north of Moscow to live as a hermit, and there, in solitude and prayer amid great hardship, he built a small church dedicated to the Holy Trinity. Others were drawn to join him, and around his cell grew the great monastery of the Trinity, the Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra, which he governed with humility, working with his own hands and refusing all honors.

Revered in his own lifetime for his holiness, gentleness, and gifts of the Spirit, he became the spiritual father of the Russian people and a peacemaker among its quarreling princes. Most famously, he blessed Grand Prince Dmitri Donskoy before the battle of Kulikovo in 1380, which broke the grip of the Mongol Tatars, kindling the hope of a nation. He died on 25 September 1392. The most beloved of all Russian saints, he inspired a great renewal of monastic and spiritual life.