Here Mitrophan is depicted in the attire of Bishop. He delivers a blessing with his right hand, and in his left hand he holds a bishop’s staff (crosier). Around his neck is a jeweled panagia and he also wears the great Skema, a sign of his high monastic attainment. At the upper left corner is Christ who blesses Mitrophan. Born in 1623 in the province of Vladimir, Mitrophan became a married village priest until he was widowed at the age of 39. He then entered the Zolotinsk-Dormition monastery near Suzdal, where he was soon tonsured. Mitrophan’s relationship with the Imperial family began with Tsar Feodor. He was made Bishop just two weeks before Feodor’s death and later participated in the double coronation of Tsar Ivan and Tsar Peter. A deep friendship developed between the youthful Tsar Peter and the aging hierarch as the young Peter spent long periods of time in Vornezh overseeing the building of his fledgling navy. The Vornezh Episcopal residence became a haven for the poor and homeless and Mitrophan made frequent visits to hospitals and prisons. The combined effect of his actions, his inspirational orthodox preaching and his prayers renewed the strength of the church among his flock. Mitrophan died on November 23, 1703. Tsar Peter the Great was among those who bore the coffin to its resting place. Miracles attributable to the Saint’s intercession and the discovery in 1831 of the incorrupt condition of his relics were reported to the Holy Synod, which prepared for Saint Mitrophan’s official glorification on August 6, 1832. The inscription along the lower margin identifies the subject as: “The Most Reverend Mitrophan First Bishop of Vornezh.”
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