Divine elder Righteous Alexy (Gnevushev) Bortsuman

Divine elder Righteous Alexy (Gnevushev), Bortsurman

In the village of Bortsurmany, in the Pilseninsky district of Nizhny Novgorod region, there is a beautiful snow-white church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It was built in 1785.

Pilgrims come here to worship the relics of St. Alexy of Bortsurman.

His contemporary, St. Seraphim of Sarov, when the faithful came to him from the places where St. Alexy lived, sent them back, humbly assuring them that they had a zealous intercessor before the Lord - Father Alexy, a priest from the village of Bortsurmany.

Father Seraphim spoke of him thus: "Here is a worker who, having no monastic vows, is above many monks. And indeed, the future saint had never been a monk. Alexy Gneushev was born into a priestly family and over time became a priest himself. He served in the Church of the Assumption of the village Bortsurmany until his old age, and was buried by its walls.

At the first of his ministry, Father Alexy did not distinguish himself by the austerity of his life. But his life changed abruptly after one incident. One night he was awakened and told that in a neighboring village a peasant was dying. Father Alexy became angry, and, having said that the sick man was probably not so bad and would live until morning, sent the messenger back. But he could not sleep and went himself to a neighboring village. He found the farmer already dead, and an angel stood beside him with the Holy Chalice in his hands. This vision so overwhelmed the priest that he fell on his knees and prayed all night. From that day on, Father Alexy began an ascetic life and tried to keep to the monastic order.

All the time he had left from prayers and church services, he received people who came to him. Secretly gave money to the fire victims and orphans. His prayers healed the sick and infirm. Once he was brought to six-year-old Tatiana Rastrigina, who from birth could not walk. Father Alexy prayed and anointed the sick child's feet with oil from a lamp. And the girl recovered. The demon-possessed merchant who recovered from Alexy's prayer arranged for a cast-iron floor to be built in the Bortsturman church. Three iron plates of this floor have been preserved to this day.

Nine years before his death, Father Alexy retired and transferred his place in the Church of the Assumption to Father Paul Vigiliansky. He himself withdrew into his cell, which was next door to the church, and gave himself up to prayer. He left his house only to visit the church.

In the year 2000 there was a joyful event for all believers. Righteous Alexy Bortsurman, the miracle worker was glorified as a saint. And now the flow of people coming to his holy relics in the Church of the Assumption in the village Bortsurmany of Nizhny Novgorod region does not dry up.

Every year in the Church of the Assumption many pilgrims gather several times from different places both in the Nizhny Novgorod region and all over Russia. On May 4 is celebrated the repose of the righteous Alexy Bortsurman; on May 26 by a long tradition is honored his birthday; on August 17 there is a solemn celebration of the discovery of the righteous's honest remains, attended by archpastors throughout the metropolis of Nizhny Novgorod; on September 9 the memory of 29 Bortsurmans martyrs is honored.