Blessed James of Borovichi, Wonderworker of Novgorod
Many ancient Russian cities have their own patron Saint, whose name is associated with miraculous healings and the protection of their city from enemies. The patron Saint of Borovichi in the Novgorod region is the Righteous James, a Wonderworker and a Fool for Christ.
Saint James is the patron Saint of the Borovichi region and of the Iveron (Ivḗron) Valdai Monastery. In a manuscript of the XVI century, kept at Holy Trinity-Sergius Lavra, stories about this Saint are set forth.
On April 11, 1452, on Bright Tuesday, a great event took place near the Holy Spirit Monastery. A spring flood; the fast-flowing Msta River rolled its waves through the rapids in a loud stream; The life-giving warmth of the spring sun melted all the ice in the river. Suddenly, a large ice floe appeared, moving against the rapid flow of the river; thick steam rose from it like smoke from a fire. It landed on the right bank, a hundred fathoms above the Monastery. Those who witnessed this saw a rather darkened pine block on the ice floe, as if had been scorched by fire, this was the lower part of the coffin, without a lid, and in it was the poorly covered body of a certain youth. Seized with horror, the faint-hearted people of Borovichi took the floating body for an ordinary corpse of a drowned man.
In order to avoid trouble, they tried hard to push the ice floe with its strange burden away from the shore with a special long staves. However, the ice floe returned to its former place. Then, after tying the log with ropes, they dragged it along with the ice floe, along the course of the Msta River, and took it two versts from the Monastery. At dawn the next day, the ice floe returned with its burden again. This was repeated for a third time.
Finally, the Lord brought the foolish men to their senses. A certain youth appeared in a dream to several well-intentioned elderly men of Borovichi and said to them: "Orthodox Christians, why do you drive away a fellow Christian? Why do you resist the Lord, Who has sent my body to you? Is it because you do not know my name? Well then, know that I am called James; named for Saint James, the Lord's brother according to the flesh."
The simple-minded and God-fearing men awoke from their sleep, and told one another about the wondrous dream, and their hearts were touched. The rumor spread quickly, and then the residents of Borovichi regretted their unreasonable attitude toward the relics of the Servant of God revealed by his voyage. Many bitter tears were shed at the same time; the staves, with which the relics had been pushed off, were burned. The old men, accompanied by a crowd, hastened to the bank of the Msta River, with a firm intention to remove the honorable relics from the ice floe at once, and to place them right there on the bank. On the ground a log framework was built, which resembled a small chapel. For 93 years after his voyage and burial, the incorrupt relics of Saint James, which had been placed under a bushel (Matthew 5:15), unceasingly exuded grace-filled healing for all who came to him with faith.
After the many signs and miracles which occurred at the grave of the Righteous James, in 1544 the inhabitants of the region brought this to the attention of Archbishop Theodosios of Novgorod with a special petition from the clergy and laity. expressing their sincere desire and earnest request that the honorable relics of this new wonderworker be opened, as a most precious treasure given by God. This great celebration took place on October 23, 1545, on the Feast Day of the Apostle James, the brother of the Lord. Soon after the burial of the relics of the Righteous James, a healing spring sprang up.The pious inhabitants of the neighborhood, zealous for the glory of the name of the Lord, Who is wondrous in His Saints, a small wooden church was built there and dedicated to the Tenderness (i.e. Sweet-Kissing) Icon of the Mother of God.
During the reign of the most pious sovereign, Tsar Alexei, His Holiness Nikon, the great Patriarch of All Russia, aware of the miracles which occurred at the relics of the Righteous James, and at the same time, he was told that the holy relics were pgreatly neglected because of the poverty of Holy Spirit Monastery, he intended to transfer the holy relics to the Ivḗron Monastery, which was then on one of the islands of Lake Valdai. This transfer took place on February 23, 1654.
Who exactly is the God-pleasing youth, the Righteous James, who is called the Wonderworker of Borovichi, in his short life on earth; who were his parents, and from where did his incorrupt relics sail to the Borovichi shore? There are no reliable details concerning these things, neither written nor oral.
The miracles of Saint James are described in the book "The Legend of Saint James the Righteous Wonderworker of Borovichi," published in 1901 in St. Petersburg. The residents of Borovichi remember that at the beginning of World War II, Saint James appeared in a dream to a deeply believing Elder and said: "Let the faithful go around the city three times with my icon, and I will spare my city." Indeed, a group of believers walked around the city for three nights with the cross, chanting prayers, and carrying the icon of Saint James and a particle of his relics. The Cross Procession took place secretly, at night, because the faithful feared persecution by the godless authorities. Soon the front approached the city. Borovichi was only 70 kilometers away, but the city was not damaged.
On October 23, the Feast of Saint James, Orthodox Christians all over the world offer prayers to this Saint, and unite spiritually with the faithful of Borovichi.
The Righteous James is commemorated three times a year: on May 22; on October 23 (the transfer of his honorable relics); and on the Third Sunday after Pentecost (Synaxis of the Novgorod Saints).