Metropolitan Mark of Ryazan and Mikhailovsky is convinced that now the apostolic time has come in Russia. People need missionaries, and this is the main duty of priests and bishops. It is no coincidence that at present there are a lot of young priests, because in order to revive church life, young forces are needed. And each believer, it does not matter, a monk or a lay person, is called to the best of his ability to be a witness to the Truth.
Metropolitan Mark of Ryazan and Mikhailovsky. Biography
Metropolitan Mark was born on March 31 in 1964 in Perm. In the world, his name was Sergey Anatolievich Golovkov. In addition to Sergey, two more sons and three daughters grew up in the family. The father of the future Bishop, Anatoly Grigorievich Golovkov, studied at the Saratov Theological Seminary and, in addition to his permanent work in the world, served as a subdeacon and sang in the choir. At one time he was a treasurer in the cathedral of the city of Perm. Since there were few churches in Soviet times, I constantly made something for the household for the church where I served, while not forgetting about other churches.
He, along with his wife Anna Vasilievna, raised children in a Christian spirit, which at that time was tantamount to a feat. Anatoly Grigorievich understood that children need to instill a love of God, so that they have a religious worldview. To do this, he introduced them to reading religious literature, which he collected for many years. Metropolitan Mark of Ryazan and Mikhailovsky said that his father had antique literature on religious topics, among the books there were pre-revolutionary editions of theological academies.
Mother Metropolitan Mark was distinguished by rare kindness and industriousness. The boy was imprinted in her memory as she told the children about the exploits of the holy ascetics, read about the lives of the saints. Anna Vasilyevna, as far as the archpastor remembers, always served in the diocese, sang on the choir.
Youth of the archpastor
Great luck and happiness is to be born in a family where spiritual life is at the forefront. But this requires steadfastness and steadfastness in beliefs. At that time, to be a believer meant to go against everyone, to challenge society.
Sergei Golovkov, like the rest of the Soviet guys, went to a regular school and was even accepted in October and pioneers. There was nothing reprehensible in this, because then for this no one demanded that he renounce Christ, they simply gave a tie and attached an icon. But the future Metropolitan of Ryazan and Mikhailovsky Mark knew his purpose. After graduating from ten classes of high school, the young man decides to enter the theological seminary, but at that time only those who served in the army were taken to such places. Therefore, Sergei, without submitting documents to another university, went straight to the selection committee of the military registration and enlistment office.
Sitting opposite the doctor, he noticed that on one sheet (and this was a characteristic from the school) it was emphasized: "was brought up in a religious environment." This was the reason for the head of the commission to yell at him: "How will you, a believer, serve?" But the young man already knew how to control himself and calmly replied that he was like everyone. The Metropolitan recalls the years of service with warmth. The Lord kept him from egregious cases of hazing and other troubles, at this time he matured and gained experience of living away from family and friends.
Years at the seminary
At the Moscow Theological Academy, calm, kind Sergey Golovkov made many friends. At that time, interest in faith and religion gradually began to manifest itself among different layers of the population. For the most part, seminarians consisted of children raised in believing families, children of priests. There were, but much less often, young men who grew up in an atheistic family and, contrary to their parents, came to the Academy.
At that time (perestroika had already begun), samizdat began to publish many books on a religious theme, and the Theological Academy began to attract people who were interested in faith, who read, who delved deeply into the works written by the great ascetics of Christianity. It is not surprising that many adults who graduated from a secular institute applied to the Academy and sat down immediately on the second year.
First of all, seminarist Sergei Golovkov appreciated that friendship, sincere communication between students and teachers. For him, the seminary was like (the Metropolitan of Ryazan and Mikhailovsky Mark said this in an interview) the family. They (the seminarians) then united in one flock, rallied around the Lord, there were never any quarrels between them, there was no falsehood. Everyone tried to value friendship and time spent with each other.
Monasticism
In 1990, Sergei Golovkov was tonsured a monk with the name Mark in honor of the apostle and evangelist Mark. In the same year he was ordained a hierodeacon, and a few months later - in the rank of hieromonk. On August 12, 1992, Priest Mark became a member of the Russian Spiritual Mission in Jerusalem.
For him, without exaggeration, Israel has become a second homeland. The young man was not yet thirty years old, and there was already a need in the homeland of Christ to communicate with many “parallel worlds,” as he himself spoke about this.
Ministry in the Holy Land
First, Jerusalem is the place where people first heard the Divine sermon, these are the holy places: Calvary, Gethsemane, Holy Sepulcher, Bethlehem, which, undoubtedly, are conducive to prayer and spiritual contemplation. Secondly, it is the Russian world, mission employees, monks, compatriots working in Israel. Thirdly, it was an acquaintance with the archpastors and priests of Orthodox churches and other faiths: the Catholic Church, the Protestant Church, the Apostolic Church (Armenian Apostolic Church), and we had to communicate and collaborate with everyone.
In Jerusalem, Metropolitan Mark of Ryazan and Mikhailovsky received a unique opportunity to plunge into the atmosphere of pre-revolutionary Russia, to see and hear the fragments of this magnificent empire.
The metropolitan recalled the unusual noble ringing of Russian bells during his ministry in Trinity Cathedral, and this ringing reminded him of his lost homeland. He saw gifts: icons, church utensils, vessels that were donated to the Jerusalem Church in the pre-revolutionary period and which were used in worship. In modern Russia, such relics are in museums.
The revival of Christianity. How to achieve this?
The fact that the Russian Orthodox Church is now under close attention, they talk and write a lot about it - this proves that for every person, for the Russian people, the soul is a Christian and it declares itself. So says the Metropolitan of Ryazan and Mikhailovsky Mark. Reviews on the spiritual side of the people delight the bishop, despite many negative manifestations in society. In his opinion, there aren’t enough workers in the church, as the Gospel testifies: “there are many harvests, but few workers”. There are not enough people who would not serve the Church for the sake of profit and futile glory. There is a lack of unity, a lot of quarrels, discord between parishioners, and this divides, divides people. We need to learn unity and as soon as possible.
On February 26, before the Great Fourteenth Metropolitan Mark of Ryazan and Mikhailovsky, he headed the Vespers in the Nativity of Christ Cathedral in Ryazan. Vladyka said that the Holy Great Pentecost (Great Lent) is a time when believers must overcome the tyranny of the flesh and not drown in the storm of everyday cares.