5/18 December

St. Gurias (in the world Gregory Rugotin) was the first archbishop of the Kazan archdiocese, established in 1555. He grew up in an aristocratic family in Radonezh, a village near Moscow. Because his parents were not wealthy, he had to work from early youth as the estate manager for Prince Ivon Pen'kov. From his youth, Gregory was pious, humble, and kind. He did not want to enter into marriage. Slanderously denounced to the prince for having a criminal alliance with his wife, Gregory was imprisoned in a dungeon. This broke his health, but strengthened and deepened his religious feelings. In the prison, he wrote little children's reading books. The profits realized from the sale of these primers he gave to the poor.

Upon leaving prison, Gregory was tonsured with the name Gurias, in the St. Joseph of Volokolamsk monastery, a monastery known for the strictness of its rule. In 1543, the brethren chose him to be their abbot. He acted in this capacity for almost nine years, and thereafter left the position and lived for 2 years as a simple monk. For one year prior to becoming a bishop, St. Gurias was director of the Selizharov Holy Trinity Monastery, Tver Diocese. He was chosen by lot to ascend the Kazan Cathedra. With the support of St.Varsonuphy (+1576, commemorated on April 11), Holy Hierarch Gurias accomplished many missionary activities. Over the course of his eight years as bishop, there were erected four monasteries, the Annunciation Cathedral, and over ten city churches.

In 1561, the Holy Hierarch fell seriously ill. On feast days, he would be carried into the church, where he would sit or lie, without the strength to stand or walk. Shortly before his death (+5 December, 1563), he was tonsured into the great schema, and was buried in the Holy Transfiguration Monastery. On October 4, 1595, the incorrupt relics of Holy Hierarchs Gurias and Varsonuphy were uncovered. Holy Hierarch Hermogenes, Metropolitan of Kazan (future Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, +1613; commemorated 12 May), was present at their uncovering, and described this event in the Lives of the Saints. On June 20, 1630, the relics of Holy Hierarch Gurias were translated to the Annunciation Cathedral Church in the Holy Transfiguration Monastery in Kazan.