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[[Image:Jonah of Manchuria.JPG|right|frame|St. Jonah of Manchuria]]
[[Image:stjonah.jpg|right|frame|St. Jonah of Manchuria]]
Our father among the saints '''Jonah (Pokrovsky), Bishop of Hankou''' (1888-1925), was a [[diocese|diocesan]] [[bishop]] of the [[Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia]] (ROCOR) who served in Northern China in the years immediately following the Bolshevik Revolution.
He departed this life on [[October 7]] ([[Julian Calendar|Old Calendar]]) or [[October 20]] ([[Revised Julian Calendar|New Calendar]]), 1925, and was officially [[glorification|glorified]] by the ROCOR on [[October 20]], 1996.
==Life==
The future St. Jonah was born in on April 17, 1888 in Kaluga, Russia, with the name Vladimir (Volodya) Pokrovsky. He was orphaned at the age of 8 and was taken in by a kindly [[deacon]], who ensured he received an education. He went on to attend, graduate, and eventually teach at the [[Kazan Theological Academy]]. While attending as a student, he was [[tonsure]]d a [[monk]] of the [[Optina Monastery|Optina]] Brotherhood and given the name Jonah. He took a teaching position at the academy only out of obedience to the Elder [[Gabriel of Optina]].
In 1918 the Revolution forced the young [[hieromonk]] to leave Kazan. He was arrested by the communists and suffered beatings to the point of loss of consciousness and imprisonment. Thus, sharing the fate of the New Confessors of Russia, by God's providence Hieromonk Jonah was freed by the White Army, which was situated beyond the Ural Mountains. Having been quickly raised to the rank of [[igumen]], he was assigned as the senior priest of the southern volunteer troops. With the army of Ataman [[w:Alexander Dutov|Alexander Dutov]], Fr. Jonah withdrew to the borders of Western China, being subjected to all kinds of hardships while crossing the Pamir cliffs, often forced to grab on to jagged ledges and the sparse shrubbery of the ice covered cliffs with wounded hands. After crossing the Gobi Desert, they finally reached Beijing, where Fr. Jonah was received into the [[Russian Orthodox Mission in China|Ecclesiastical Mission ]] there and soon consecrated [[bishop]] of Manzhuria. (St. Jonah was officially the bishop of Hankou, in the Hubei province, but actually ministered and worked in the town of Manzhuria, the modern day border town of [[w:Manzhouli|Manzhouli]], not to be confused with the region of Manchuria, of which this town is a part.)
During his short time as bishop, St. Jonah transformed the Orthodox community in Manzhuria. He established an orphanage, a school, and a dining hall for the poor. He worked tirelessly for his flock, and was deeply loved by them.
(From the book "Sermons," by St. John of Shanghai and San Francisco)
==Relics==
There was an attempt to excavate the relics of St Jonah in July of 1994 which was unsuccessful in locating the site of St Jonah grave (the grave marker had been destroyed by the Communists). In 1997, new information was provided that may have located the site, but so far no second attempt has been made.<ref>Search for relic of St Jonah (Pokrovsky) in Manzhouli, http://www.orthodox.cn/saints/jonahpokrovsky/19940729manzhouli_en.htm 1-17-2008</ref>
==Hymn==
[[Kontakion]] ([[Tone]] 3)
:Thou didst not forbid the children to come to thee, O divinely blessed one,
:Taking care for their daily needs, and establishing a safe haven for them.
:And even after thy repose thou hast not forsaken them;
:For in a dream thou didst heal a paralyzed boy.
:Wherefore, we cry out to thee: Rejoice, O all-glorious wonderworker Jonah!
== Sources ==
*[http://www.saintjonah.org/stjonahlife.htm The Life of St. Jonah of Manchuria]
==Notes==
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== See Also also == *[[Chinese OrthodoxyChurch of China]]
== External links ==
*[http://www.roca.org/OA/142/142f.htm A New Saint is Proclaimed]
*[http://www.russianorthodoxchurch.ws/01newstucture/pagesen/sermons/stjohn1925pascha.html A Sermon on Pascha by St. Jonah]
*[http://www.orthodox.cn/saints/jonahpokrovsky/index_en.html Documents in English and Russian about St. Jonah, along with additional photos]
[[Category:Saints]]
[[Category:Bishops]]
[[Category:20th-century bishops]]
[[Category:Russian Saints]]
[[Category:Modern Saints]]
[[Category:Missionaries]]
[[Category:Orthodoxy in China]]
[[Category:Wonderworkers]]
[[Category:Kazan Theological Academy Graduate]]
