A denouncer of the schism and an associate of the kingtranslated

Saint Mitrofan, the first bishop of Voronezh, was born in 1623 in the Vladimir land into the family of a priest. The worldly name of the future saint was Michael. The saint lived half of his life in the world, was married and had children.

The future bishop was for some time a priest in the village of Sidorovskoye, Suzdal diocese. In his 40th year of life, he became a widower and decided to devote his life to God. He chose the Zolotnikovsky Assumption Monastery not far from Suzdal as his place of residence, where he was tonsured a monk with the name Mitrofan.

Here the saint of God began his monastic life. He was distinguished by deep humility. The fame of his strict asceticism began to spread among the monastic community. Three years after entering the Zolotnikovsky monastery, the brethren of the neighboring Yakhroma Kosmin monastery, which did not have an abbot at that time, began to ask the local spiritual authorities to appoint Mitrofan as abbot. The brothers' request was granted. The ascetic was ordained to the priesthood, and then, contrary to his wishes, elevated to abbot of the Yakhroma monastery.

When Patriarch Joachim of Moscow and All Rus' learned about the ascetic’s zeal, he entrusted his management with the more extensive Unzhensky monastery, founded...