1903 - 2003 - MIRACLE AND PROPHECY AT DIVEYEVO
1833 - On 2 January the priest-monk and hermit Seraphim, born in 1759, reposes at the Monastery of Sarov in Russia. In his lifetime he had visions, both of demons, but also of heaven. He was vouchsafed to see the Mother of God no fewer than twelve times. Twenty miles away at the convent of Diveyevo, founded by him and meaning 'the place of the miracle', nuns pray at his passing. St Seraphim has prophesied that Russia will suffer disaster, but that she will be cleansed of her unfaithfulness by the blood of her people after repentance. The Saint's relics will be returned to Diveyevo and Russia will be restored. From here St Seraphim will arise and appear to teach universal repentance.
1903 - It is 19 July and at Sarov, 'the Russian Jerusalem', Tsar Nicholas II, accompanied by his family and nearly half a million pilgrims, attends the ceremonies of canonization, instituted initially at the request of the pious Tsar himself. All is coming true as St Seraphim himself prophesied: 'The Tsar will come to us with his whole family. What joy there will be and they will sing the Easter service in summer'.
1915 - Shortly before her repose, Blessed Parasceva (Pasha) of Sarov, a fool-for-Christ, prophesies the martyrdom of the Russian Royal Family.
1927 - In the early summer the Monastery of Sarov is closed by order of the atheist government. The relics of St Seraphim are taken to an anti-religious museum. This only attracts pilgrims to venerate them. The relics are therefore taken to be stored in another atheist museum in St Petersburg. A few months later, in the autumn, Diveyevo Convent is closed. Its clergy are imprisoned, its 300 nuns and 800 novices are scattered to the four winds and its nine churches are closed. Another of St Seraphim's prophecies has come true: 'My sisters will be scattered like peas through the gate'.
1946 - After use as a prison camp and then as a home for prisoners' children, the Monastery of Sarov is turned into a nuclear weapons research centre. The area remains off limits to this day. In the years following, like the children before them, soldiers patrolling the military zone report seeing an old man in a white robe with a staff. Bullets cannot touch him and guards shake with fear.
1988 - Mother Margarita, the last surviving nun from the pre-1927 Convent, now aged 88, hears a man's voice from an old icon of St Seraphim. The voice says: 'Listen, listen, the Mother of God is going to speak'. A beautiful voice says: 'From this cell, from this holy earth, the world will be renewed'. Mother Margarita repeats another of the Saint's prophecies, that for seventy years churches will be destroyed but then they will be returned 'without your asking'. Mother Margarita also still awaits the return of the Saint's relics and of the great Diveyevo bell. At the ringing of this bell St Seraphim himself will appear and preach repentance. Then he will uncover the relics of others. Among them are believed to be Abbess Alexandra, Mother Martha and the clairvoyant Mother Evdokia, who was tortured and martyred by the atheists. Then the Saint will repose and soon after the end of the world will come.
1991 - Diveyevo Convent is returned to the Orthodox Church. In the summer of this year the relics of St Seraphim are found in the basement of a former anti-religious museum in St Petersburg and returned to Diveyevo. Tens of thousands of pilgrims gather. All is happening exactly as the Saint had prophesied over 150 years before.
1993 - There are now 200 nuns in the Convent and by 1995 two churches will have been restored. Many Orthodox families are now moving to the village of Diveyevo in order to be near the Convent which is led by the remarkable Abbess Sergia.
2003 - The Russian Orthodox world commemorates the 100th anniversary of the canonization of the great saint, whose veneration has spread throughout liberated Russia and indeed the whole believing world. Pilgrims come to Diveyevo and venerate the relics of St Seraphim and also of the newly-canonised Abbess Alexandra, Mother Martha and Nun Elena, some of St Seraphim's spiritual daughters. There are almost 400 nuns and novices and Diveyevo is now the largest Convent in Russia. There are also some 500 Orthodox families who have moved here in order to partake in the worship of the Convent. The deep perimeter channel encircling the Convent's lands is being redug by pilgrims, villagers, priests and nuns. According to tradition, this is the perimeter around which the Mother of God herself walks every day, as a defence against the Antichrist. Those who walk in her footsteps in prayer receive a special blessing.
As the book of history unfolds before us, with faith and hope we await other prophecies of St Seraphim to come true.
