Serapion (Alexandrovsky) of Kiev

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Metropolitan Serapion (Alexandrovsky) of Kiev, a hierarch of the Church of Russia, was the Archbishop of the Diocese of Kazan and Simbirsk from 1799 to 1803 and Metropolitan of Kiev from 1805 to 1822.

Life

Stefan Sergeyevich Alexandrovsky was born on July 27, 1747 in the town of Alexandrov in Vladimir province. His father was a priest in a women's monastery in Alexandrov. He attended Trinity Seminary, graduating in 1770. After graduating he remained at the seminary as a teacher. On February 8, 1770, Stefan was tonsured a monk and given the name Serapion. He then entered the Holy Orders when he was ordained a hierodeacon on June 29, 1770.

In September 1772, Dn. Serapion was appointed to a position as teacher at the Slavic-Greek-Latin Academy in Moscow. On March 30, 1772, Dn. Serapion was ordained a hieromonk. In March 1775, Fr. Serapion was appointed the abbot of the Monastery of the Elevation of the Cross in Moscow.

On June 11,1788, Fr. Serapion was [[consecration of a bishop|Bishop of Dmitrov, a vicar of the Moscow Diocese, and appointed abbot of the Monastery of the Epiphany in Moscow. Bp. Serapion remained as Bishop of Dmitrov for 11.5 years. In 1972, he was given additional responsibilities for the diocese of Moscow under the direction of Metr. Platon II who maintained his residence at Trinity-St. Sergius monastery outside the city.

On October 16, 1799, Bp. Serapion was appointed Bishop of Kaluga, but before his enthronement, he was transferred, on [[October 21], to the see of Kazan and was elevated to the rank of archbishop. After only a few year administering the Diocese of Kazan, Abp. Serapion was appointed Metropolitan of Kiev on December 11, 1803. He governed the Diocese of Kiev for eighteen years, until age and health issues forced him to ask for retirement. Metr. Serapion retired on January 22, 1822 and reposed on September 14, 1824. He was buried in St Sophia Cathedral in Kiev.

Among the honors bestowed on Metr. Serapion during his years of service to the Church were the Order of St. Ann, first degree, in 1797, the Order of St. Alexander Nevsky in 1803, and the Order of the Apostle Andrew the First-Called in 1814.

Succession box:
Serapion (Alexandrovsky) of Kiev
Preceded by:
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Bishop of Dmitrov
1788-1799
Succeeded by:
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Preceded by:
Amvrosy I (Podobedov)
Archbishop of Kazan
1799-1803
Succeeded by:
Pavel (Zernov)
Preceded by:
Gabriel (Banulesko-Bodoni)
Metropolitan of Kiev
1803-1824
Succeeded by:
Eugene (Bolkhovitinov)
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