HTTPELIKABLOGBGLIFESTYLE20101103DNESSVETATAPRAVOSLAVNACYRKVACHESTVASVPIMENZOGRAFSKIE629057 ST PIMEN OF ZOGRAPH – THE HUMBLE MONK

HTTPELIKABLOGBGLIFESTYLE20101103DNESSVETATAPRAVOSLAVNACYRKVACHESTVASVPIMENZOGRAFSKIE629057 ST PIMEN OF ZOGRAPH – THE HUMBLE MONK






HTTPELIKABLOGBGLIFESTYLE20101103DNESSVETATAPRAVOSLAVNACYRKVACHESTVASVPIMENZOGRAFSKIE629057 ST PIMEN OF ZOGRAPH – THE HUMBLE MONK HTTPELIKABLOGBGLIFESTYLE20101103DNESSVETATAPRAVOSLAVNACYRKVACHESTVASVPIMENZOGRAFSKIE629057 ST PIMEN OF ZOGRAPH – THE HUMBLE MONK HTTPELIKABLOGBGLIFESTYLE20101103DNESSVETATAPRAVOSLAVNACYRKVACHESTVASVPIMENZOGRAFSKIE629057 ST PIMEN OF ZOGRAPH – THE HUMBLE MONK HTTPELIKABLOGBGLIFESTYLE20101103DNESSVETATAPRAVOSLAVNACYRKVACHESTVASVPIMENZOGRAFSKIE629057 ST PIMEN OF ZOGRAPH – THE HUMBLE MONK HTTPELIKABLOGBGLIFESTYLE20101103DNESSVETATAPRAVOSLAVNACYRKVACHESTVASVPIMENZOGRAFSKIE629057 ST PIMEN OF ZOGRAPH – THE HUMBLE MONK

http://elika.blog.bg/lifestyle/2010/11/03/dnes-svetata-pravoslavna-cyrkva-chestva-sv-pimen-zografski-e.629057





St. Pimen of Zograph – the humble monk
to have restored, built, and icon-painted
over 300 churches and 15 monasteries
in the dark years of the 16-17 centuries.





The renowned icon-painter and church-builder Reverend Pymen of Zograph was born in Sofia. He was the gracious fruit of his parents’ lengthy prayers. His mother was honored to see in a dream the Most-Holy Theotokos in white raiment, surrounded by a multitude of monks. God’s Mother promised her to discontinue her barrenness by letting her know that she would bear a son.

Born on the day of First Apostles Peter and Paul, the infant was named in Holy Baptism Paul. His parents gave him to study the letters, iconography, church singing and the Holy Scripture with their cleric the Zograph monk Thomas who then served in the ancient church in town "St. George the Great Martyr".


After his parents’ death the mentor of young Paul also died. On the fortieth day after his death he appeared to his disciple in glory and advised him to go to the Holy Mount of Athos that would be the place of his salvation.

Paul gave out to the poor the property remaining from his parents and set off for the Bulgarian monastery on Mount Athos of Zographos. There he was soon tonsured into monasticism with the name of Pimen. The young monk was so quick to thrive in monastic virtues that the brothers started calling him "the young Abba" (Father). Once envious people threw his garment into the fire but – instead of burning, there happened the contrary – the fire was extinguished. Ashamed of this the envious people ceased their malice.

When he turned 30, monk Pimen – against his will – was ordained as hieromonk by the Macedonian bishop Pamphiliy of Voden, who was a Bulgarian by nationality. Reverend Pimen served all drowned in tears and received from God the gift of wonder-working prayer: he cured a demon-bestridden brother and saved the life of another brother bitten by a venomous snake.





In order not to grow proud from the great honor that all brothers paid him, he received a blessing by the abbot to go out of the monastery and surrender to secluded life. He built in the woods a most simple hut, he ate chestnuts and various grasses, and he came unto the monastery only to receive communion. Once – in the presence of two monastic brothers, a fire broke out in the woods and reached to the Reverend’s hut, but as soon as he prayed, a torrential rain fell and extinguished the elemental fire.



When he was 55 years of age, at a time of prayer the Heavenly patron of the Zograf Monastery [“St George the Victor-bearer” – tr. note] St. Great Martyr George, the Victor-bearer, appeared to him in prayer and told him God’s will [for him] to be a shepherd of his consanguineous nation that has remained without pastors. Out of fear not to be cheated Reverend Pimen sought counsel from one of the sagacious elders and only after having received his consent, he set off for Bulgaria, which at that time was groaning under the Ottoman joke. He took with him his pupil Pamphiliy, who later wrote his live. Weeping, the monastic brothers saw them off to the borders of Zographou monastery.

In the course of many years he traveled over almost all Bulgaria. First he was in his native town of Sofia and its surroundings, then in Southern Bulgaria and in the Bachkovo Monastery. He toured also throughout Northern Bulgaria, he visited many towns like Vidin, Silistra and others... Everywhere he preached the word of God, affirming in the faith the Orthodox people, with prayer he worked many miracles, he constructed and renovated churches. In the Dorostol diocese with his prayer he granted sight to a blind-born [person] whom he subsequently – at his wish – he tonsured in monasticism.

He built and renovated about 300 churches and 15 monasteries and by his own hand he decorated them with murals. Among them are the Cherepish monastery in the Vratsa Diocese and the Suhodol monastery (then) in the Vidin Diocese.

Towards the end of his life Rev. Pimen returned to the Cherepish Monastery to surrender there his body to the earth.

HTTPELIKABLOGBGLIFESTYLE20101103DNESSVETATAPRAVOSLAVNACYRKVACHESTVASVPIMENZOGRAFSKIE629057 ST PIMEN OF ZOGRAPH – THE HUMBLE MONK

HTTPELIKABLOGBGLIFESTYLE20101103DNESSVETATAPRAVOSLAVNACYRKVACHESTVASVPIMENZOGRAFSKIE629057 ST PIMEN OF ZOGRAPH – THE HUMBLE MONK




HTTPELIKABLOGBGLIFESTYLE20101103DNESSVETATAPRAVOSLAVNACYRKVACHESTVASVPIMENZOGRAFSKIE629057 ST PIMEN OF ZOGRAPH – THE HUMBLE MONK

HTTPELIKABLOGBGLIFESTYLE20101103DNESSVETATAPRAVOSLAVNACYRKVACHESTVASVPIMENZOGRAFSKIE629057 ST PIMEN OF ZOGRAPH – THE HUMBLE MONK

The Cherepish Monastery



He soon came down [with a grave desease], conveyed to his monastic brethren his last fatherly blessing, received communion with the Holy Sacraments of Christ and died on November 3, 1620. Before his death his face shined, and many a miracle have worked by his tomb.

Subsequently, Turkish brigands set fire to the Cherepish Monastery and it fell into desolation. Then the monks of the Suhodol Monastery found the grave and transferred the imperishable relics of the Reverend to their monastery, where they are to rest to date. That monastery was once located within the Bulgarian Diocese of Vidin, but is now in Yugoslavia [Serbia – tr. note], the region of Knyazhevatska.

When was St. Pimen of Zograph (Sofia) canonized is unknown.



Sources:

Lives of the Saints. Synodal Publishing, Sofia, 1991

Photos: Personal archive and Internet









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