Euphrosyne of Polotsk
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Roman Catholic Church | |
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Feast | 23 May |
Patronage | Belarus |
Website | Page on Belarusian Heroes |
Euphrosyne of Polotsk (or Polatsk, Połack) (
Life
Predslava was born between 1101 and 1104, into the Rurik noble family, members of which were the dukes of the principality of Polotsk, in what is modern day Belarus. Her father was Prince Svyatoslav-Georgy Vseslavich, second son of Vseslav the Sorcerer.[2]
She refused all proposals of marriage and, without her parents' knowledge, ran away to the convent where her aunt was the abbess. She became a nun and took the name Euphrosyne. With the blessing of the Bishop of Polotsk, she began to live near the Sophia cathedral, where she spent her time copying books.[3] The money she thus earned she distributed amongst the poor.
Around 1128 Bishop Elias of Polotsk entrusted Euphrosyne the task of setting up a convent. At the newly constructed Savior-Transfiguration convent at Seltse she taught young women to copy books, sing, sew and do other handicrafts. Through her efforts, in 1161, a cathedral was built which survives to the present day.[3] She also founded a monastery dedicated to the Mother of God, as well as two churches. The church of The Holy Saviour still stands today and is considered to be the most precious monument of early Belarusian architecture.
Towards the end of her life, she undertook a
Veneration
Her
of East Slav origin.Euphrosyne (or Efrosinia) of Polotsk is a patron saint of Belarus.[2] In Belarus there is a Convent of Saint Euphrosyne in Polotsk and a Saint Euphrosyne Orthodox Church in Minsk.[7] In addition, there are churches dedicated to Euphrosyne of Polotsk in London,[8] Toronto,[9] Vilnius[10] and South River, New Jersey (see: St. Euphrosynia Belarusian Orthodox Church).
Cross of Saint Euphrosyne
The Cross of Saint Euphrosyne was a gem-studded cross created at her behest by a local master, Lazar Bohsha (Belarusian: Лазар Богша). The famous six-armed golden cross was decorated with enamels and precious stones and presented by her to the Church of the Holy Saviour in 1161. The relic survived centuries of turbulence until World War II, when it disappeared during the evacuation of the museum in 1941. The cross was last seen in Mogilev. Despite efforts of the Belarusian government to trace its whereabouts in the early 1990s, which included searching in private collections in the United States, it has not been found.
See also
References
- ^ Kasaty, Peter. "Saint Euphrosyne of Polatsk (1104-1167)". Archived from the original on 2000-12-15. Retrieved 2012-07-16.
- ^ a b ""Euphrosyne of Polotsk", Republic of Belarus". Archived from the original on 2020-10-25. Retrieved 2014-02-27.
- ^ a b c "Euphrosyne Abbes of Polotsk" Church of the Mother of God, Mays Landing, New Jersey
- ^ Keck, Karen Rae. "Euphrosyne of Polotsk". The Ecole Glossary. The Ecole Initiative. Archived from the original on 2012-07-17. Retrieved 2012-07-16.
- ^ (in Greek) Ἡ Ὁσία Εὐφροσύνη. 23 Μαΐου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
- ^ Venerable Euphrosyne the Abbess of Polotsk. OCA - Feasts and Saints.
- ^ Saint Euphrosyne Orthodox Church, Minsk at orthodox-world.org
- ^ Belarusians in the UK absociety.org.uk
- ^ "Official website of the St. Ephrasinia Orthodox Church". Archived from the original on 2018-03-22. Retrieved 2016-09-01.
- ^ orthodox-world.org