Job of Manyava facts for kids
Job of Maniava was an important Ukrainian Orthodox saint. He was born as Ivan Knyahynytskyi in 1550 in Tysmenytsya, which is now part of Ukraine. When he became a monk, he was given the name Ezekiel. Job of Maniava was a key figure in the Orthodox church and helped start Manyava Skete, a famous monastery in Ukraine. He passed away on December 30, 1621.
Early Life and Education
Saint Job, known then as Ivan Knyahynytskyi, was born in a town called Tysmenytsia. This town is in what is now the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast in western Ukraine. He received his education at monastery schools. He studied first in Uhniv (now in Lviv Oblast) and then later in Ostroh.
For a while, he taught at the Ostrih School. A nobleman named Konstanty Wasyl Ostrogski had invited him to teach there. When he was young, Ivan traveled to Mount Athos in Greece twice. Mount Athos is a very important place for Orthodox monks. In Ostrih, he met a monk from Mount Athos. This meeting inspired him so much that he decided to go live in a monastery on Mount Athos. There, in Greece, he became a monk and was given the name Ezekiel.
Returning to Ukraine
In 1598, the monk Ezekiel, along with other monks, came back to Ukraine. They were collecting donations for their monasteries. In 1600-1601, he returned to Ukraine again. This time, he decided to stay and help rebuild monastic life there. After coming back from Greece, he helped organize many Orthodox monasteries in Ukraine.
In 1606, Job settled near Krasnopol, close to the Carpathian Mountains. Soon, other monks who also wanted to live a spiritual life joined him. As more monks arrived, Job needed a priest to lead their church services. The group chose Deacon Theodosius, who was Job's nephew. Theodosius became the first hegumen (leader) of the Maniava Skyt monastery. Job told him, "Be the shepherd and teacher of this group, gathered by God. You are our priest and spiritual guide, worthy to be the leader, and I will help you as long as I live."
In 1611, Job founded the Maniavskyi Skyt monastery. It was built near the village of Maniava. This area is now in the Ivano-Frankivsk Raion, Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast. Saint Job of Maniava was friends with other important Ukrainian church leaders. People often asked him for advice on matters of faith. A letter from Cyril Tranquilion shows how much people trusted Job's wisdom.
About ten years after his nephew Saint Theodosius passed away, Metropolitan Petro Mohyla of Kyiv wrote about the monastery. He said, "Go to Pokuttya, to the Skyt, there you will find two hundred angels, who live in bodies..." This shows how respected the monastery and its monks were. The Orthodox monastery of Maniava, which Job started, was closed by the Austrian government on July 1, 1785. However, the monastery in Maniava was reopened in the 1990s after communism ended in Ukraine.
Becoming Saints
Saint Job and Saint Theodosius of Maniava were officially recognized as saints in 1994. This was done by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church under the Moscow Patriarchate. They were later also made saints by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Kyiv Patriarchate) on July 15, 2004, in Kyiv.
Their special day of remembrance is celebrated on June 24 according to the Church Calendar. This day is July 7 on the regular civil calendar. The Ukrainian Orthodox Church celebrates this day for both Saint Job and Saint Theodosius of Manyava.
See also
- Manyava Skete - a monastery in Ukraine founded by Job of Manyava
- Theodosius of Manyava - the successor of Saint Job
