Day of Remembrance of St. Euphrosyne, Abbess of Polotsk (05/06)

Venerable Euphrosyne, Abbess of Polotsk, in the world of Predislav, was the fifth-generation great-granddaughter of the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir and the daughter of Prince Georgy Vseslavich of Polotsk.

One day, in a sleepy vision of Euphrosyne, the Angel of the Lord appeared, who inspired her to found a monastery near Polotsk in a place called Seltso. This vision was repeated twice more. With the same instruction, the Angel appeared to Bishop Elijah of Polotsk.

After some time — this was already under Prince Boris Vseslavich in 1125 — Bishop Elijah with a fitting celebration handed over the Transfiguration Church in Selts to Euphrosyne for the founding of a convent under him. Going there, Euphrosyne took with her only her books — « all her estate».

Over time, the sisters of Euphrosyne were tonsured as monastics here: native — Eudokia (in the world of Gradislav) and cousin — Eupraxia (in the world of Zvenislav). Euphrosyne taught the young novices to read and write books, sing, sew and other crafts, so that from their youth they would know the law of God and have the skill of hard work.

In her declining years, Euphrosyne, anticipating her imminent death, wanted to venerate the Life-Giving Holy Sepulcher. Having entrusted the monastery to the management of her sister Eudokia, she and another sister Eupraxia went to the Holy Land.

After a pilgrimage to the shrines of Constantinople, she arrived in Jerusalem. After bowing to the Holy Sepulcher, Euphrosyne suffered a peaceful and blessed death in 1173 in a Russian monastery in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Jerusalem.

Venerable Euphrosyne of Polotsk became famous in the Russian Church as the patroness of female monasticism.

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