In Goloseevo tens of thousands of believers honour Nun Alipia

On October 30, the Holy Protection Goloseevo Monastery of Kiev solemnly celebrated the 29th anniversary of the repose of the ascetic struggler of our time, Nun Alipia (Avdeeva), especially revered by Orthodox Christians in Ukraine. Annually, on this day tens of thousands of believers from many cities and villages of Ukraine flock to the monastery.

The feast day began early in the morning with the outdoor episcopal Divine Liturgy in Monastery Square, led by the abbot of the Goloseevo Monastery, Bishop Isaak (Andronik). After that, a requiem for Mother Alipia was served.

"With many Orthodox Christians it has become a pious tradition to come to our monastery to worship the Holy Righteous Eldress, especially on her feast day. Popular wisdom holds that people do not come to an empty well. All of them seek God's help, and Mother is our contemporary, and she devoted all her life to God. And all her life she helped people," Bishop Isaac, the abbot of the Holy Protection Goloseevo Monastery, told a UOJ correspondent.

"She lived at the time when it was not easy for a believer to go to Church, to serve God. She understood our human infirmity, and from God she received the gift of healing and prophetic vision. Through her the Lord helps all of us who turn to her for help. On October 30, the day of the repose of Mother Alipia, people come to thank her rather than ask. Last year, the monastery was visited by about 100 thousand people, this year, I think, there will be as much," he added.

The abbot said that the monastery is preparing a book dedicated to Mother Alipia, which will have been released by Christmas. It will include the testimonies of people who had a miracle in the prayers of Mother Alipia to the Saviour.

For pilgrims, the monastery organized a traditional festive meal – the distribution of a famous monastic treat in memory of Mother Alipia.

Also in tents in Monastery Square, one could see and buy a variety of goods hand-made by students of the John Damaskin Orthodox Center for Applied Arts, which has been functioning at the Goloseevo Monastery for almost five years. In this unique school of religious art and professional mastership, 240 children from Orthodox families are currently studying free of charge.

The body of Nun Alipia rests in a crypt under the temple in honor of the icon of the Mother of God "The Life-giving Spring". An endless stream of believers goes to the granite shrine with the relics of Blessed Alipia. They bring fresh flowers to the mother and sincerely believe that in prayers of the blessed Eldress the Lord grants them what they ask.

Nun Alipia was born on March 3 (16), 1905 in the Penza province. At Holy Baptism, the future Eldress was named in honor of Holy Martyr St. Agafia, whom she greatly revered throughout her life. She took the vows in the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. The nun carried one of the most difficult monastic feats – the foolishness for Christ. After her death, it became known that for every person she had prayed Nun Alipia hung a key around her neck, and by the end of her life the number of keys had grown so much that they turned into chains.

The ascetic spent the last nine years of her life in Goloseevo. It was here that she was granted prophetic vision, healing and relief to those in need, and above all – the gift of love.