In the men's Makarov monastery near Saransk, miracles do not stop at the grave of the elder and confessor of the Saransk diocese Theophanes, and in the world of Vladimir Dankov. Crowds of people gather here to ask for healing or wish fulfillment. Is it true that something unusual is happening in the monastery, SmartNews correspondent found out.
Pilgrimages to the Makarovsky St. John the Theologian monastery to the grave of Elder Theophan do not stop for a day. People come for healing, just to pray, and sometimes for spiritual advice. They say that the elder, as in life, never refuses to anyone, and healings occur more and more often.
- I came to Father Feofan today, I can't count it again. I don’t have enough words to convey all the grace and tranquility that I receive after coming here. The elder was very kind during his lifetime, he listened to everyone, he could always be seen surrounded by people, with a large bundle of memorial notes. Many different people come to him now. He helps me even after death, just recently my son had an accident, in the hospital they said that there were almost no chances, but I went to pray and asked Father Feofan to help … and he helped! The son is on the mend, the doctors say, this rarely happens with such severe wounds. But I am sure that he will be healthy, because the father's help is with us.
Marina Akimova, a parishioner of the Makarov Monastery
The story of the healing elder began a long time ago. Father Feofan was born in 1935, in the Penza region, in the village of Orlovka, Bashmakovsky district. An ordinary peasant family for that time: the father was a communist, and the mother was a deeply religious person, which she tried to instill in her children. The boy's first spiritual mentor was Elder Gregory, who strengthened his faith in God and taught little Vladimir to wear a cross. Once, having gone 30 km from home, to the temple in the village of Bashmakovka, Volodya stayed there to work as an altar boy for 20 years. After that he went to the village of Kamenny Brod and stayed there for 12 years, and when the Sanaksar Nativity of the Theotokos monastery was opened, he went there as a brother.
After he spent two years in Sanaksary, Vladimir Dankov was tonsured into the schema with the name Theophanes. After that, Metropolitan Barsanuphius of Saransk and Mordovia sent Feofan to Chufarovo to restore the Holy Trinity Monastery, and it was there that the elder's fame began. People came little by little, asking for help. But after the restoration of the monastery, Fr. Theophan moved in 2004 to the Makarovsky John the Theologian monastery. Now this monastery is known not only in Russia, but also far beyond its borders. Both before and now people come to see Father even from America and Germany, not to mention the near abroad.
Elder Theophanes met with many famous elders of our time. I also visited Father Nicholas on the island of Zalit, went to see Father Iliy Optinsky, met with Father John from the Pskov-Caves monastery. For all the years of his residence in the monastery, Theophanes was a lofty image of monastic obedience, meekness, endless love for everyone who came to him. He always took the misfortunes of pilgrims and parishioners to heart. Thanks to his spiritual activities, his popularity extends far beyond the borders of Mordovia.
The elder treated thousands of people, and last October he needed help himself. The disease attacked Father Feofan, but, despite severe pain, he continued to receive people, saying that when talking with the pilgrims, he had the strength to live. However, he predicted death for himself.
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- Several years before the death of Father Feofan, we had a conversation with him about people who die on Easter. It is believed that they enter the kingdom of God. The elder said that he, too, would die during Easter week. I was very scared then, because the holiday was just around the corner. But he smiled and said that it was not this year.
Olga Eremina, organizer of pilgrimage trips from Nizhny Novgorod
Numerous parishioners and pilgrims arrived from all over Russia and neighboring countries to participate in the burial after Easter on May 18 this year. The funeral service for Schema-Archimandrite Theophan took place in the main cathedral of St. John the Theologian Makarov Monastery. He was buried in the monastery cemetery behind the St. John the Theological Cathedral. Now memorial services and litias at the grave of Schema-Archimandrite Theophan (Dankov) are performed daily at 9:00 and 17:00, after which people stay, kiss the cross and ask each for his own.
A large number of believers from the most remote corners of Russia say with gratitude: "Father Feofan helped!" These words are pronounced at the appearance of the long-awaited firstborn, upon the return of the husband to the family, at the retreat of a serious illness, there are a lot of life stories and examples of help and healing through prayer and visiting Elder Theophanes both during his life and after death. Hundreds of pilgrims go to the elder's grave every day. “After all, how could it be otherwise, if he helped during his lifetime, then in the next world a word may be put in for us,” the pilgrims say.
- He can be put on a par with such elders as Father Nikolai (Guryanov) from the island of Zalit, John (Krestyankin). These are ascetics with whom Orthodox Russia is strong. A distinctive feature of the Makarov righteous man is that he had an unfeigned love for his children, was an example of true obedience.
Clement, Bishop of Krasnoslobodsky and Temnikovsky, stolica-s.su
However, love for neighbors, miracles during life and after death still do not give Elder Theophan the status of a saint. This requires more than one procedure and a lot of time. But, perhaps, Father Theophan is still ahead.
- No matter how paradoxical it may sound, there really is a procedure to avoid various confusion. The process of recognizing holiness can begin only a few years after death and with the presence of facts of helping people after death. More than one meeting is gathered among the diocese and everything is carefully considered.
Representative of the press service of the Saransk diocese
The count of miracles that happened after the prayer to the elder has long been lost. With its help, the most severe ailments recede. Miracles after death became not uncommon in the Makarovsky churchyard, people came and come to the grave of Father Feofan over and over again, remembering him as bright and smiling during his lifetime. Someone passes stories about this by word of mouth, and someone puts it on the Internet.
- Of course, to believe or not is everyone's personal business, but the facts of miraculous healings and real help in difficult life situations of Elder Theophan are numerous. Once I was at a reception with Feofan, and personally felt the extraordinary warmth and kindness that emanated from this frail, gray-haired old man. In conditions of unbearable heat, he tried to accept all the suffering. In my memory, that July day, more than 200 people came to him. People began to flock in the early morning, from about 6-30. As a result, we got to him only in the evening at six o'clock.
The method of healing Elder Theophanes is of course specific, has no scientific basis and is very painful. After he "massaged" the body with his heavy metal counterpart, many people had long-lasting bruises on their bodies. Maybe everything is illogical, but this is a kind of physical catharsis that was worth it - my problem was solved, yes, not immediately, after a lapse of time, but it was solved. I suppose this is also the merit of Theophanes. I personally saw the faces of hundreds of people, pilgrims, filled with faith in healing and hope for a brighter future. At the same time, I have heard real human stories of miraculous healings. Therefore, Theophanes really helped people, and rumors and gossip about the fact that this charlatanism is spread by charlatans, swindlers and swindlers themselves. Well, there are still those who do not believe, but this is their right … The kingdom of heaven to Elder Theophan and eternal memory …
Mordovian81, stolica-s.su
- During my lifetime, the elder dissuaded me from abortion, I was stupid then, I did not know what I wanted. But now I am grateful to him. But with work, everything was bad for me, I didn't know what to hope for, I thought that the elder was gone now, there was no one to help, but I still came to his grave. She leaned down to the cross, said everything. And you know, after I left the monastery, I took out my phone to see the time, and then it rang right in my hands, it was good news from work. Now I have come to say thank you to Elder Theophan. The main thing is not to ask, but to pray with great contrition and heartfelt warmth.
Galina Fedorova, resident of the city of Saransk
Expert opinion. Eduard Rogachev
- Elderhood is a special service that God gives only to the elect. Among them is Father Feofan, the spiritual father of the Makarov Monastery. At a young age, he devoted himself to serving God. Elderhood is like a heroic deed, he was revered at all times in Russia. This gives special strength. Unfortunately, in our time, eldership has become an extremely rare phenomenon.