Metropolitan of Ryazan and Mikhailovsky Mark. The apostolic time has come

Metropolitan Ryazan and Mikhailovsky Mark is convinced that now in Russia the apostolic time has come. People need missionaries, and this is the main duty of priests and bishops. It is no coincidence that there are a lot of young priests nowadays, after all, in order to revive the church life, young forces are needed. And every believer, is not important - a monk or a layman, is called to measure his own strength to be a witness of Truth.

Metropolitan of Ryazan and Mikhailovsky Mark. Biography

Metropolitan Mark was born on March 31 in 1964 in Perm. In the world he was called Sergey Anatolyevich Golovkov. In addition to Sergei, two sons and three daughters grew up in the family. The father of the future Vladyka, Anatoly G. Golovkov, studied at the Saratov Theological Seminary and, besides the constant work in the world, served as a subdeacon, sang in the choir. At one time he was a treasurer in the cathedral of the city of Perm. Since there were few churches in the Soviet era, I always did something for the temple for the church where I served, while not forgetting about other churches.

He, along with his wife Anna Vasilyevna, brought up children in a Christian spirit, which at that time was equated with a feat. Anatoly Grigorievich understood that children need to instill a love for God so that they have a religious worldview. For this he introduced them to reading religious literature, which he collected for many years. Metropolitan Ryazan and Mikhailovsky Mark said that his father had antique literature on a religious theme, books pre-revolutionary publications of spiritual academies met.

Metropolitan Mark's mother was distinguished by rare kindness and diligence. In the memory of the boy it was recorded how she told the children about the exploits of the holy ascetics, read about the lives of the saints. Anna Vasilievna, as the archpastor remembers, always served in the diocese, sang in the choir.

Youth of the Archpastor

Great luck and happiness - born in a family where spiritual life is at the forefront. But for this you need perseverance and steadfastness in your beliefs. At that time, being a believer meant going against everyone, challenging society.

Sergei Golovkov, like the rest of the Soviet guys, went to regular school and even pioneers were accepted in October. In this there was nothing reprehensible, because then no one from him demanded renunciation of Christ, just gave a tie and attached a badge. But the future Metropolitan of Ryazan and Mikhailovsky Mark knew his purpose. After finishing ten classes of secondary school, the young man decides to enter a theological seminary, but at that time only those who served in the army took such places. Therefore, Sergei, without submitting documents to a friend of the university, straight went to the admissions office of the military commissariat.

Sitting opposite the doctor, he noticed that on one sheet (and this was a characteristic from the school) was stressed: "was brought up in a religious environment." This was the reason why the head of the commission shouted at him: "How can you, a believer, serve?" But the young man already knew how to control himself and calmly replied that like everyone else, so he. Years of service the metropolitan remembers with warmth. The Lord kept him from blatant cases of hazing and other troubles, at this time he matured and acquired the experience of living away from relatives and friends.

Years in Seminary

In the Moscow Theological Academy, the calm, kind Sergei Golovkov acquired many friends. At that time, interest in faith and religion gradually began to manifest itself among various strata of the population. For the most part, the seminarians consisted of children who grew up in believing families, children of priests. There were, but much less often, young men who grew up in an atheistic family and in defiance of parents who came to the Academy.

At that time (the perestroika had already begun), samizdat began to publish many books on religious themes, and the Spiritual Academy began to attract people who are interested in faith, reading, deeply penetrating into the works written by the great ascetics of Christianity. Not surprisingly, many adults who graduated from the secular institute applied to the Academy and sat down at once for the second year.

First of all, the seminarist Sergei Golovkov appreciated that friendship, sincere communication between students and teachers. For him, the seminary was like (this was said in an interview by the Metropolitan of Ryazan and Mikhailovsky Mark) the family. They (seminarians) then united in one flock, rallied around the Lord, there was never quarreling between them, there was no falsity. Everyone tried to appreciate the friendship and time spent with each other.

Monasticism

In 1990, Sergei Golovkov was tonsured into monasticism with the name Mark in honor of the apostle and evangelist Mark. In the same year, he was ordained a hierodeacon, and a few months later he was ordained as a hieromonk. On August 12, 1992, the priest Mark became a member of the Russian Spiritual Mission in Jerusalem.

For him, Israel without exaggeration became the second homeland. The young man was not yet thirty years old, and it was already necessary to communicate with the multitude of "parallel worlds" in the homeland of Christ, as he himself said about it.

Serving in the Holy Land

First, Jerusalem is the place where for the first time people heard the divine preaching, these holy places: Golgotha, Gethsemane, the Holy Sepulcher, Bethlehem, which undoubtedly have a place for prayer and spiritual contemplation. Secondly - it's the Russian world, mission staff, monks, compatriots, working people in Israel. Thirdly, it is an acquaintance with the archpastors and priests of Orthodox churches and other confessions: the Catholic Church, the Protestant Church, the Apostolic Church (the Armenian Apostolic Church) and all had to communicate and cooperate.

In Jerusalem, the Metropolitan of Ryazan and Mikhailovsky Mark received a unique opportunity to plunge into the atmosphere of pre-revolutionary Russia, to see and hear the fragments of this majestic empire.

The metropolitan recalled the unusual noble ringing of Russian bells during the service in the Trinity Cathedral, and this ringing reminded him of a lost fatherland. He saw gifts: icons, church utensils, vessels, which were presented to the gift of the Jerusalem church in the pre-revolutionary period and which were used in worship. In modern Russia, such relics are in museums.

Revival of Christianity. How can this be achieved?

The fact that the Russian Orthodox Church is now under close scrutiny, much talk and write about it proves that every person, the Russian people, the soul is a Christian and declares itself. So says the Metropolitan of Ryazan and Mikhailovsky Mark. Comments on the spiritual side of the people are pleasing to the bishop, despite many negative manifestations in society. In his opinion, there are not enough workers in the church, as evidenced by the Gospel: "There is a lot of harvest, but few doers." There are not enough people who would serve the Church not for the sake of profit and futile glory. There is a lack of unity, a lot of quarrels, discord among the parishioners, and this separates, divides people. We need to learn unity and as soon as possible.

On February 26, before the Great Patriarchal Metropolitan Mark of Ryazan and Mikhailovsky, he headed the Vespers at the Nativity Cathedral in the city of Ryazan. Vladyka said that the Holy Great Fourteenth (Lent) is the time when believers must overcome the tyranny of the flesh and not drown in the storms of worldly care.