Metropolitan Innocent

Metropolitan Innocent (secular name Ivan Evseevich Popov-Veniaminov) was a bishop of the Orthodox Russian Church; from January 5, 1868 he was Metropolitan of Moscow and Kolomna. Saint Innocent (Ivan Evseevich Popov-Veniaminov) was born on August 26, 1797 in the village of Anginskoye in the Irkutsk diocese into the family of a church servant. He learned to read early and at the age of seven was already reading the Apostol in church. In 1806 he entered the Irkutsk seminary. Subsequently, on May 13, 1817, he was ordained a deacon, and on May 18, 1821 he was ordained a priest.

 

His missionary service began in 1823. For 45 years Saint Innocent devoted himself to the enlightenment of the peoples of Kamchatka, the Aleutian Islands, North America, Yakutia and the Khabarovsk region. He baptized thousands of people, built churches and schools, and taught people the basics of Christianity.

 

Innocent conducted extensive scholarly work. His writings on ethnography, linguistics and geography received worldwide recognition. He created a grammar and an alphabet for the Aleut language and translated the Gospel, the Catechism and numerous prayers into it. On November 29, 1840 he took monastic vows with the name Innocent. On December 15 of the same year he was consecrated as a bishop, and on April 21, 1850 he was elevated to the rank of archbishop. On January 5, 1868 Saint Innocent became Metropolitan of Moscow. He died on April 13, 1879 and was buried in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. The canonization of Saint Innocent took place on October 6, 1977.