Xenia of Saint Petersburg

Xenia of St. Petersburg
Born	c. 1719–1730
Died	c. 1803
Honored in	Eastern Orthodoxy
Canonized	1978 and 1988, United States and Russia by Russian Orthodox Church Abroad and the Russian Orthodox Church
Major shrine	Smolensky Cemetery, St. Petersburg, Russia
Feast	January 24/February 6

Sarcophagus of Blessed Xenia in a chapel in the Smolensky Cemetery in St. Petersburg

Saint Blessed Xenia of St. Petersburg (Russian: Святая блаженная Ксения Петербургская [Xenia Grigoryevna Petrova - Ксения Григорьевна Петрова]; c. 1719–1730 – c. 1803, Saint Petersburg) is a patron saint of St. Petersburg, who according to tradition, gave all her possessions to the poor after her husband died.

Her husband had been Colonel Andrey Fyodorovich Petrov, a chanter at the Saint Andrew Cathedral. After his death, Xenia became a "fool-for-Christ" and for 45 years wandered around the streets of St. Petersburg, usually wearing her late husband's military uniform.

St. Xenia's grave is in the Smolensky Cemetery of St. Petersburg. It has been marked by an ornate chapel since 1902. She was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church on February 6, 1988. Her feast day in the O.S. is January 24, which is February 6 in the New Calendar.

St. Blessed Mother Xenia is noted for her intercessions in helping those with employment, marriage, the homeless, for fires, for missing children, and for a spouse.(*http://www.serfes.org/lives/stxeniaofpetersburg.htm)

Hymns

Troparion (Tone 4)

Having renounced the vanity of the earthly world,

Thou didst take up the cross of a homeless life of wandering;

Thou didst not fear grief, privation, nor the mockery of men,

And didst know the love of Christ.

Now taking sweet delight of this love in Heaven,

O Xenia, the blessed and divinely wise,

Pray for the salvation of our souls.

Troparion (Tone 8)

In you, O mother was carefully preserved what is according to the image.

For you took up the Cross and followed Christ.

By so doing, you taught us to disregard the flesh for it passes away,

But to care instead for the soul since it is immortal.

Therefore, O Blessed Xenia, your spirit rejoices with the Angels.

Kontakion (Tone 7)

Having loved the poverty of Christ,

You are now being satisfied at the Immortal Banquet.

By the humility of the Cross, you received the power of God.

Having acquired the gift of miraculous help, O Blessed Xenia,

Beseech Christ God, that by repentance

We may be delivered from every evil thing.

Literary References

St. Xenia is a major figure in the historical fiction novel "The Mirrored World"

External links

• Life Of Saint Xenia Of Petersburg by Nun Nectaria McLees
• Life of St. Xenia of St. Petersburg by Jane M. deVyver
• Saint Xenia of Petersbourg Parish in Canada

See also

• Basil Fool for Christ
• John the Hairy
• Blessed John of Moscow the Fool-For-Christ
• Sign of contradiction