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| St. Sergius, Bishop of Buzuluk (right) |
The Martyric triumph of St. Sergius, Bishop of Buzuluk, and his unknown companion:
"For not recognizing 'our', as the chekist-interrogators called him, Metropolitan Sergius, Bishop Sergius of Buzuluk was arrested together with an igumen whose name has been forgotten.
Stirred by the unshakeable firmness of the confessors, they sentenced them to the same cruel punishment: either they would give in or suffer a terrible slow death...
They put them into a room full of rats. In this room there was a pool full of water instead of a floor and a large stump of wood capable of supporting several swimming people. And in the walls of the room there were holes in which sat hungry rats ready to fall on the people as on food offered them.
No one endured a stay in that room. Everyone, at the sight of those innumerable beasts of prey falling on them incessantly, immediately agreed to take upon themselves any accusation, any demand asked of them by the 'investigators'. Only so long as they were delivered from the rats, from that terrible death.
And the executioners, sitting the bishop and the igumen in that rat-room, were convinced that they would obtain their desired result. But the desired result was not obtained! The feeding-trough was opened, and through the metal window came the voice: 'Well, have you changed your minds?' asked the supervisor. But no answer came.'Well, we haven't got all day! It's late...'
But the confessors of Christ understood that here there awaited them inevitable death, and they turned to God with flaming, tearful prayer - about one thing only: that they might be strengthened to receive the longed-for death for Christ...
While they stood the beasts of prey were not able to overpower them. But, tormented by hunger and thirst, they grew weaker and lay dawn. And then the whole mass of rats around the water hurled themselves upon them. The supervisor saw all this and waited for them to begin to entreat him to save them, but in vain. The holy martyrs preferred death, 'the sweet death for Christ', rather than betray Him and recognize Metropolitan Sergius' treachery to be 'a good deed'.
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| St. Sergius, Bishop of Buzuluk (center) |
They did not ask for mercy from the torturers, and, strengthened by the grace of God, they were eaten alive by the beasts of prey..."
Saint Sergius and his companion received the crown of martyrdom on May 3/16, 1930.