Kuksha of Odessa

Icon of Kuksha of Odessa

Kuksha of Odessa, born Kosma Velichko (25 January [O.S. January 12] 1875 in Arbuzynka, Kherson Governorate, Russian Empire – December 24, 1964 in Odessa, USSR), was an imperial Russian priest and a Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) saint who was canonized in 1995.

Early life

Kosma Velitchko was born on 12 January 1875 in the village of Arbuzynka in the Nikolaev Province of the Kherson Governorate to Kirill and Kharitina Velitchko. Although his mother dreamed of becoming a nun in her youth, she married to obey her parents. She had two more sons—Theodore (Fedor) and John (Ivan)—and a daughter, Maria, hoping that one of her children would enter the monastic life.

During his youth, Velitchko walked to the Kiev Pechersk Lavra, the Troitse-Sergiyeva Lavra, the far-northern Valaam and Solovki monasteries, and Jerusalem and the Holy Land in 1895. He lived in Jerusalem for six months, and visited all of Palestine's sacred places. On his way back, Velitchko visited Mount Athos. Before leaving the mountain, the pilgrims went to the archimandrite of Saint Panteleimon monastery for a blessing and Velitchko expressed his desire to join the monks there. The archimandrite told him to return after a year, and gave him a small icon of Saint Panteleimon (the monastery's patron saint). Velitchko kept it for his entire life.

Joining Saint Panteleimon monastery (1896)

Velitchko arrived at Athos (with his parents’ blessing) in 1896, became a novice at Saint Panteleimon monastery and was placed in charge of altar offerings (prosphoras). He visited Jerusalem again with his mother in 1897. Two events occurred in Jerusalem. Pilgrims unable to have children tried to bathe first at the Siloam baths, so God would grant them children. Velitchko fell into the water, to the amusement of the people who began saying that he would have many children. The second event occurred when he visited the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where pilgrims wanted to anoint themselves with oil from the lamps. While Velitchko was worshiping, the central oil lamp spilled its oil all over him. People quickly surrounded him, trying to anoint themselves with oil from his clothing. After returning to Athos, Velitchko was a servant at the pilgrims' guesthouse for 11 years.

Monastic vows as Xenophont (1904)

Soon after Velitchko was tonsured with the name Constantine on 5 April [O.S. March 23] 1904, he received the monastic name Xenophont. The Imiaslavie movement reached the Athos monastery in 1912–1913, and Greek authorities demanded that many foreign monks leave (including Xenophont, who was uninvolved).

Kiev Pechersk Lavra (1913-1935)

In 1913, Xenophont settled in Kiev Pechersk Lavra. In 1914, during World War I Father Xenophont and other monks worked as a "mercy brother" on the sanitary train on the Kiev - Lvov line for 10 months, then he returned to the Lavra. There he served in Far Caves, kindled the lamps at the relics, redressed the holy relics, and kept cleanness and order. He had an ardent desire to enter schema but was refused being only 40. So once at night having redressed the relics of Saint Siluan, Xenophont took them in hands and kneeling next to his shrine ardently prayed that Saint Siluan would help him with tonsure in schema. Xenophont fell asleep and next morning awoke still kneeling with the relics in his hands.

Tonsure into schema with the name Kuksha (1931)

At the age of 56, he suddenly fell sick and many thought that he would not survive. It was decided to tonsure the dying into schema. On April 8, 1931, when being tonsured in schema he was given name Kuksha, after the ancient saint whose relics are situated in near caves. Kuksha recovered and on April 3, 1934 father Kuksha was consecrated into the rank of priest-deacon (hierodeacon) and on May 3 into the ranks of priest-monk (hieromonk).

First arrest by Soviet authorities (1938)

After the Kiev Pechersk Lavra was closed by the decision of Soviet Ukraine officials, father Kuksha served at the church at Voskresenksaya Slobodka. In 1938, he was sentenced by the Soviet authorities as a "cult servant" to five years in the concentration camp at Vilma, in Molotov Oblast (today Perm Oblast), Ural. After this term ended, Kuksha was sentenced to three additional years of exile.

At the age of 63, Kuksha happened to be at hard wood cutting labours working 14 hours a day, in frosts, receiving bad meals. Other priests and monks were imprisoned together with Kuksha. Metropolitan Anthony of Kiev sent, along with pieces of dry breads, particles of blessed Eucharist gifts. In this way, hundreds of convicted priests and monks took communion.

Kuksha was freed from the Vilma camp in the spring of 1943 on the feast of Saint George and was exiled to a village nearby Kungur in Solikamsk Oblast (today northern part of Perm Krai). After being blessed by the bishop of Solikamsk, he often conducted church services in the nearby village. In 1947 the exile term ended.

Return to Ukraine (1947)

In 1947, Kuksha returned to the Lavra and with a great joy had been received by lavra brethren. In 1951, Soviet authorities transferred father Kuksha from Kiev to the Holy Dormition Lavra in Pochaev, in western Ukraine. In Pochayev, Kuksha served at the local wonder-icon of Virgin Mary. Besides that father Kuksha had to confess people. All who were coming to Pochayev tried to get confession with Kuksha. During the course of three years, Kuksha conducted morning services at the Cave Temple.

At the end of April 1957, on the Passion Week of the Great Lent, he was transferred to the Monastery of Saint John the Theologian in Khreshchatyk, Chernovtsi Oblast. There, elder Kuksha used often to repeat "Here I am at home, here I am on Athon".

In 1960, Chernovtsi women monastery was closed and the nuns were transferred to the men's Saint John Monastery in Khreshchatyk, whereas the monks were sent to Pochayev Lavra. The chief archimandrite Michael (in schema Mytrophanos) was appointed as parish priest not far from the village Khreshchatyk and father Kuksha was transferred to Holy Dormition Monastery in Odessa. July 19, 1960 he arrived in that monastery where spends the last four years of his life. He was appointed to confess people and to help to take out particles from sacrifice breads during proscomidia - the initial part of the liturgy. The cell of the elder was next to Saint Nicholas church.

Death (1964) and canonization (1995)

Place of first inhumation of St. Kuksha

Sarcophag of St. Kuksha

In October 1964, the elder fell and broke a hip. Lying in such a state on the cold ground, he caught a cold and developed pneumonia. He never took medicine, calling the Holy Church to be the curer. He foresaw his own death. The spiritual daughter of the elder schema-nun A. used to recollect that the elder sometimes said: "90 years and Kuksha will be no more, they will bury him quickly quickly, take the shovels and cover". His words came true. He died when he was almost 90, at 2 a.m. The cross was set over his grave at 2 p.m. in the afternoon of the same day. The Soviet authorities, being afraid of the influx of the believers, gave two hours for the burial. News of the death spread quickly and even Patriarch Alexiy I with worry asked why they acted so with the elder's relics.

Blessed Kuksha died on December 24, 1964 and was buried at the cemetery of the Holy Dormition monastery in Odessa.

After the collapse of the communist regime in the Soviet Union, elder Kuksha was glorified as venerable by the decision of the Holy Synod of Ukrainian Orthodox Church in 1995.

Healings and miracles

All the cases of healings done by Saint Kuksha are so numerous that they cannot be all described or counted. He performed them almost daily throughout decades.

Many were healed by his prayer. For example, one woman got cancer, which appeared in the form of a blue tumour on her forehead. In such a state, she came to the elder. Saint Kuksha advised her not to undergo an operation, gave her the rite of confession, and after communion gave her a metallic cross which he ordered her to press against the tumor. The woman did so. After staying with the elder for 4 days, and receiving communion daily, the woman returned home with her mother. She kept the cross to her forehead, and halfway through the trip home, she realized that half of the tumor had disappeared, leaving only white empty skin. After 2 weeks at home, the second half of the tumor was gone, and the woman's forehead got whiter and cleaner, leaving no trace of cancer.

Saint Kuksha cured one of his spiritual children without actually seeing her. The woman recovered from a mental illness without seeing the elder, the moment the elder read her letter to him, which requested that he pray for her. Even in autumn 1993, there was a case of woman who was healed (from stomach disease) by soil from Saint Kuksha's grave. In the same way a 72-year-old resident of Odessa was healed. There are numerous witnesses when after rubbing the wounds with abscesses and swellings with soil from the grave of the saint they were healed and cleansed.

Teaching and instructions

Saint Kuksha advised to bless all the new things and products with Holy Water, likewise to sprinkle the cell (room) with Holy Water.

References

• (Russian) "Detailed biography of Saint Kuksha". Archived from the original on 13 November 2007. Retrieved 12 November 2007.
• (Ukrainian) "Venerable Kuksha of Odesa. Video 26 min". Retrieved 12 November 2007.
• (Ukrainian) "Saint Kuksha. Short biography". Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 12 November 2007.
• (Russian) "Venerable Kuksha of Odessa. Biography and Akathist". Retrieved 12 November 2007.