The Saint’s Parents

St. Sergius’s parents, Cyril and Maria, were good and pious people. Despite their noble status, they preferred rural life to the vanity of the princely court. They already had one son, Stefan, when God gave them a second son, the future founder of the Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Monastery. According to the legend, Maria knew about her son’s destiny, since at one point during her attendance at a church service the still unborn child cried out three times in the womb. The boy was born on 3 May 1314, and was subsequently christened Varfolomei.