Xenia of St. Petersburg

Xenija von St. Petersburg (actually Russian Ксения Григорьевна Петрова Xenija Grigorjewna Petrowa ; * between 1719 and 1730 in Saint Petersburg ; † around 1803 there), is venerated as a saint in the Russian Orthodox Church , she lived and worked mainly in the 18th century .

Life as "righteous"

Xenija was the wife of Andrei Theodorowitch Petrov, a wealthy officer in the Russian army. However, this officer, who was also a member of the Andreevsky parish, died unexpectedly. In Xenija, through the sudden death of her husband, the knowledge of the transience of all life matured; at the age of 26 she retired to a hermitage near Petersburg. After eight years of Spartan life, she returned to St. Petersburg and from then on worked tirelessly for the poor and needy throughout the city. She helped as best she could and soon there was even talk of miracles that she could perform. This Samaritan activity earned her the nicknames "Xenija the righteous" and " Fool in Christ ". She spent 45 long years so selflessly until she passed away at the age of 71. People continued to venerate her after her death , and a chapel was built over her grave in the Smolensk Cemetery in Saint Petersburg.

Chapel of Saint Xenia in St. Petersburg

Canonization

On September 11th, ^Jul. / September 24, 1978 ^greg. Xenija was appointed by the Russian Church Abroad in the main church of the Synod of Bishops (Our Lady of the Signs Church) in New York, USA, on June 6, 1988 by the Russian Orthodox Church during the synod that took place from June 6 to 9, 1988 took place in the Trinity Monastery of Sergiev Posad , canonized. Remembrance day is January 24th ( Julian ; Gregorian : February 6th).

Icon presentation

In all depictions of Xenija of Petersburg she wears the military coat of her deceased husband and a white headscarf, such icons can be found in the Smolensk Church and in the Chapel of Xenija in the Smolensk Cemetery in Saint Petersburg.

Web links

Commons : Xenija of St. Petersburg  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Xenia Grigorievna of St. Petersburg . In: Ecumenical Lexicon of Saints
• USA website about the life of the XvP
• (en) Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church on June 6-9 June 1988