St John of Novgorod Commemorated on September 7th St John was born in Novgorod, Russia in the 12th century to pious parents. When his parents died, John and his brother Gabriel used their inheritance to establish a monastery dedicated to Panagia, who miraculously provided for them when their funds ran out during construction. This began a life-long closeness to the Theotokos, who granted many miracles to St John and the people of Novgorod. In 1165, John was elevated to Archbishop of the city. He showed a keen awareness for the concerns of his flock and wrote letters to other bishops [...]