Cornelius lost his parents early and lived with his brother, Lucian. He first served the Moscow prince, but at some point decided to retire from the court and go to the monastery. Young Cornelius happily followed him to the Belozersk monastery. There he performed monastic feats: he wore creeds, limited himself in food. As a holiday,
Rewriting church books.
However, even the secluded monastery was too crowded for the monk, and he went to a secluded place near Novgorod. Hearing this, Saint Gennady tried to persuade Cornelius to live in the city and help him in his labors, but the young monk refused. Soon several monks joined him, and Cornelius again sought solitude. Several times he passed from one desert to another, until he was in the Komel forest, near Vologda. There he built a small church in honor of the introduction of the Virgin into the temple. It happened.
This is in 1501. In the same year Cornelius was consecrated as a hieromonk. In 1512, the number of monks increased, and a stone church was erected on the site of a wooden church. He also wrote a charter for monastics.
Saint Cornelius did many good deeds, but he was especially distinguished by his love for children and concern for the poor. For this, he was informed several times with the participation of Antony the Great, whom the monk greatly revered. He even built a church in his honor.
At one time, Cornelius left the monastery and settled alone, on the shore of the lake, 70 kilometers from the monastery. The brethren asked him to return, but he did so only at the request of Grand Duke Basil. Then he took the lead and put it down in the cage.
Cornelius died in 1537. He was 82 years old. The monk was buried in the Komel monastery.
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