Archimandrite Kirill (Pavlov) was prayerfully remembered at the Seraphim-Diveyevo monastery on February 20. He passed away into life eternal two years ago. After Liturgy at the Trinity Cathedral, the monastery’s clergy Presbyter Vyacheslav (Bodan) and Archdeacon Job (Schkendrya) served Panikhida in his memory.

It is worth sharing the recollections about the elder of blessed memory as told by His Grace Georgiy, Archbishop of Nizhny Novgorod and Arzamas.

“Remembering Archimandrite Kirill, it is necessary to say that this man acquired love of God. I heard his sermons many times and every time he would wrap up by talking about love: love towards man, love of God and Christ’s love between people. Not just once he would say that the most dreadful part of people’s life is lack of love. He used to remind us, the brethren of the Trinity – St. Sergius Lavra, about the following words from New Testament: “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” (Gal. 6:2) He would recite Venerable Sergius’ words: “Brethren, I plead with you, abide together in brotherly unfeigned love.” You and I know full well how difficult it is to accomplish this in real life.

Like a doting father, or rather, like a caring mother, Father Kirill welcomed each and every brother in his cell. HE did it regardless if he was a novice, a hyeromonk or an Archimandrite. He would hear confessions from anyone who later left inspired, invigorated and reborn.

He was visited in his cell by professors, educators, mentors and students. Everyone saw in him a genuine, not some abstract, example of spiritual life and drank living water from this source. Later on, invigorated by the grace of God and encouraged by Father Kirill’s living example of Christ’s love, they would go along their ways all over our Motherland to carry on their pastoral ministry.

From year to year, Father Kirill would have his daily visiting hours and receive hundreds of thousands of people, hearing confessions and requests, all the while supporting them in their decisiveness to accept change. I knew people who never came face to face with Archimandrite Kirill but who wrote letters to him during life’s crises. Having received Father Kirill’s response, they would be guided by his letter for the rest of their lives, fixing what was wrong and becoming faithful Christians.

If anyone wished to see a holy man in this earthly life, one should have found Archimandrite Kirill, for he was pure love, pure goodness, and pure kindness.”

Archimandrite Kirill came to the Seraphim-Diveyevo monastery in 1996. He venerated the relics of the Venerable Seraphim of Sarov, walked the Holy Kanavka, spoke to the clergy, Mother Hegumenia and sisters, and visited Schemanun Margarita (Lakhtionova). Analog photos, a keepsake from his visit, are stored at the monastery’s archive.