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From among the saints commemorated on the 31st of May, we especially remember the life and works of Holy New
Hieromartyr Philosophus and his sons Boris and Nicholas.
The Holy Hieromartyr Archpriest Philosophus (Omatsky)
was born in the village of Erga in the province of Novgorod. His father was a priest. In 1885, Philosophus completed
his studes at the Saint Petersburg Theological Academy and married a woman named Helen. After being ordained a presbyter,
he worked pastorally in developing a huge philanthropic and missionary ministry.
He became spiritually associated
with Patriarch Tikhon and during World War I, he ministered to the soldiers and their families. His son, Nicholas,
served in the high command of the 9th Russian Battalion and his son, Boris, was appointed chief of the 23rd Artillery
Brigade and fought heroically on the Austro-Hungarian front.
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One of his brothers, Father John Omatsky, married
the niece of Saint John of Kronstadt and he served in Saint Petersburg. Saint John of Kronstadt loved Father Philosophus
very much and would visit him often in his home.
After the Revolution of 1917, Father Philosophus continued with
greater zeal to preach and liturgize, and would do so in dangerous places. Among the victims of the Bolsheviks was his
son-in-law, Father Peter Skipetrov. Father Philosophus was an eye-witness to the martyrdom of his son-in-law.
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The Holy Hieromartyr and Archpriest
Philosophus was arrested on 20 July 1918 together with his sons by State Security and they were taken to the prisons of Kronstadt.
They were executed by being shot to death, and in this way, they gave the testimony of their faith in our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ.
All
the violence and chaos engendered by the Bolsheviks were unable to bend this priest's heroic mindset. The editor of Novoie Vremia, Souvorin, wrote to him: "Father Philosophus,
you are our only hope. Everyone else around us is silent."
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