Исцеление мальчика Володи

“Only believe, and you will be saved” - “Believe in Me, even if you die, you will live” “Neither I nor my family will ever forget the events that happened here in St. Petersburg in 1912. My 12-year-old son Volodya, a generally healthy, lively boy, suddenly fell ill, complaining of stomach pain. This happened on August 4th. After two or three unsuccessful measures that I took to alleviate the boy’s situation, the invited doctor, who immediately determined the nature of the disease (appendicitis), demanded that the boy be immediately admitted to the hospital for surgical treatment, and on the evening of August 8, my Volodya was already lying on a hospital bed. The next day, a council of doctors, having confirmed the first diagnosis, spoke out for the inevitability of surgery to save the patient. The operation...knives...blood from a close, dear baby - all this seemed terrible, terrible to the father and especially to the mother, especially since Volodya, who was kept on a strict diet from the very first day of his illness, began to lose weight and weaken by leaps and bounds. Fear and uncertainty about the successful outcome of the operation suspended further decisive measures. And at this very moment of reflection and fear for the consequences, I myself, my wife and relatives close to us fell on our faces and shed tears in hot tearful prayer at the tomb of our intercessor father, who during his lifetime more than once caressed “Volodenka” and stroked his head with his hand. How I prayed, what prayers I read, I cannot now remember, because the excitement of my soul deprived me of self-control; I only remember that it was difficult for me to stand on my knees, and I, bowing to the ground, only cried, not noticing anyone from those around me. Then those who saw me at the tomb told me that it was continuous sobbing and nothing more. The next day my wife finally announced to me that she would not allow the operation; that the priest, in response to her prayer request about this, said: “don’t do the operation”... At the same time, the situation of the sick boy, who did not take any food and drank only thin tea and water, became more and more dangerous. After a week or two, doctors noticed a slight decrease in local pain and its movement closer to the chest. It was soon discovered that pus began to accumulate in the bronchi and pleura as a consequence of the inflammatory process in the cecum. In this state of affairs, the question of surgery was raised by the doctors in the most decisive form, but with fears for a successful outcome given the extreme weakness of the patient. Meanwhile, daily prayers at the tomb did not stop, as well as at the image of the Queen of Heaven of Kazan. Having lost all hope for further medical help from the doctors, who did not hide from us their confidence that the boy would definitely die without surgery, we decided to take Volodya home. He himself already said: “Dad, I’d rather die at home, where I was born, take me from the hospital.” And so, from September 3, the boy began to prepare for death: he began to develop terrible purulent pleurisy, which threatened blood poisoning... Doctors refused treatment. One said: “Everyone dies like this for me”; another: “Is it possible that one in a thousand suffers such a disease.” Having completely submitted to the will of Providence, we found consolation only in the fact that every other day a priest came to us from the monastery where Father John rests with the Holy Gifts to give Volodya communion. I, father, have already spoken with the master about the concrete crypt. .. The fateful day was approaching... Suddenly Volodya had an abscess in the lower part of his chest and at the same time - vomiting pus! Something unimaginable began: bouts of coughing and vomiting continued for hours; the boy was suffocating, did not eat, did not drink, and became emaciated to the point of losing all juices and blood, and the bones protruded as if in a skeleton. This went on for two months. In total, at least two buckets of pus came out. The only doctor remaining with the patient, A.D. Ltsky was amazed at the terrible struggle of young life with death and finally said: “A miracle is happening, Volodya will recover.” And communion and prayers at the priest’s tomb continued. The month of November has already arrived; the sick boy continued to lie on his back, without turning to any side; Bedsores appeared, but the discharge of pus gradually decreased. At the same time, the activity of his heart improved somewhat, and our Volodya suddenly asked to be put on his side... By the end of November he was already being carried in his arms around the rooms, and in December he himself already approached the Christmas tree and was honored to visit that miraculous tomb from where the mercy of God was sent to him. The doctors who saw him in January 1913, including the famous surgeon G.A. in the capital. The saints told me after a thorough examination: “Well, congratulations to you and Volodya - it’s a miracle, otherwise you can’t call his recovery after such an illness, from which almost everyone dies in the capital.” After a trip, on the advice of doctors, to the Caucasus to improve his health, our Volodya completely recovered and with his signature on this sheet, together with me, his father, he certifies the complete justice of the miracle of God’s mercy that happened over him through prayers at the tomb of Father John. Court Councilor Nikolai Pavlovich Petin. Volodya Petin" I confirm the validity of all of the above. The rector of the Church of the St. John's Convent, Archpriest Dimitry Fedorov.