†) St. Cuv. Confessor Sofian from Antim Monastery; St. Great Mc. Euphemia; St. Mc. Meletina and Ludmilatranslated

Orthodox calendar, September 16 St. Cuv. Confessor Sofian from Antim Monastery The Holy Venerable Father Sofian was born in the village of Cuconestii Vechi in Bessarabia, on October 7, 1912. His parents, the devout Christians Ioan and Alexandra Boghiu, gave him the name Serghie at baptism, in honor of the Venerable Serghie of Radonej.

Loving God from childhood, he labored with work and teaching, but above all he loved the prayer made in silence, as well as the services at the village church. Ardently desiring heavenly things, he decided to devote his life to God and, at the age of 14, he entered the Holy Trinity - Rughi hermitage, near the great fortress of Soroca, as a novice brother.

There, for two years, he learned humble obedience, love of holy services and reading useful books. The worthy bishop Visarion Puiu of Hotinului, seeing the humility of brother Serghie, took him with him as an apprentice to the Bishopric, where he appointed him to the chancellery.

Seeing in the young novice a promising future servant of the Church, His Holiness Visarion sent him as a student to the School of Church Singers at the Dobrușa Monastery, where, for two years, he was...