Venerable Ioane of Manglisi
10th of April
In Tbilisi’s Sioni Cathedral, near the southeast entrance of the deacon’s chamber, beneath a white marble slab, lie the relics of Saint John of Manglisi. Sadly, many in Georgia today are unaware not only of this sacred tomb but even of the saint himself. Yet our ancestors deeply revered him. They buried his myrrh-streaming body within Sioni Cathedral to protect the royal city and the entire Georgian nation.
Saint John was born in 1666 to Prince Giorgi Saakadze’s family (not the famous Grand Mouravi; another Giorgi). His birth name was Joseph. Raised by devout parents who planted virtuous seeds in his heart, young Joseph soon chose to devote himself entirely to God.
Joseph joined the monastic community at the Bertubani Monastery in David Gareja. He took monastic vows there and received the name John. He spent many years in strict solitude and heartfelt prayer. John was known for his compassionate nature and generosity towards the poor and sick. As a monk-priest, he provided care and education to many orphans and impoverished youths, some of whom later entered the clergy, while others remained laypersons.
Saint John became known for his courage and uncompromising stance in matters of faith. When Shah of Persia appointed the converted Muslim king Jesse as ruler of Georgia (1714), the latter actively persecuted Christians, attempting to impose Islam. Jesse even shamelessly took the wife of his own maternal uncle, Kai-Khosro Amirejibi. Georgian Church leaders, especially John Saakadze, fiercely condemned his behavior, but Jesse disregarded their counsel, claiming that as a Muslim, such practices were acceptable. Eventually, King Vakhtang VI’s son, Bakari, dethroned Jesse and imprisoned him.
King Bakari recognized John’s great wisdom, authority, and education, and consecrated him as Bishop of Manglisi. Soon, however, the Ottomans invaded and destroyed the Manglisi diocese, forcing Saint John into exile at Khirsi Monastery. Although he lost his diocese, he found a greater calling. Carrying the Gospel and Cross, he first traveled across Kakheti and later reached Dagestan, where his holy life and miracles quickly attracted the local people.
In 1724, Saint John established a small wooden church in Derbent (Dagestan), which later became the stone-built Church of the Dormition of the Mother of God. He traveled with eleven priests whom he personally trained. Many locals converted through his preaching. His reputation reached even Tsar Peter the Great, who, together with King Vakhtang VI, provided him with material support.
In 1737, leaving his disciples in Dagestan, Saint John settled in the Holy Trinity Monastery in Astrakhan, Russia, where Georgian King Vakhtang VI and other Georgian émigrés lived. His presence brought great spiritual comfort to his fellow countrymen. There, he built another church, consecrating it in honor of Saint John the Evangelist.
Learning about many Georgians residing in Kizlyar without a church, Saint John traveled there. He built the Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross and opened a school to prepare missionaries and preachers. Saint John particularly strove to convert the Ossetians and Ingush peoples. Together with Joseph Samebeli (Kvabulidze), he proposed a missionary project approved by the Holy Synod in 1746, leading to the formation of a commission aimed at reintroducing Christianity in Ossetia, staffed primarily by Georgian clergy familiar with local languages and customs. Saint John headed this mission until his death.
Numerous souls were converted to Christianity through Saint John’s tireless efforts. Miraculous healings were common through his prayers. His spiritual children witnessed many wonders; on one occasion during the Divine Liturgy, as the clergy sang the “Holy God,” Saint John reached for the Cross placed upon the altar, and the cross miraculously rose and gently touched his hand, blessing all who witnessed the miracle.
Despite his successes abroad, Saint John greatly longed for his homeland. In his will, he expressed the wish to be buried at the John the Baptist Monastery in Gareja, Georgia.
Saint John died at age 85 on March 28, 1751, and was initially buried at the Kizlyar Monastery he founded. Due to the difficulty of the journey, his remains were not immediately returned to Georgia. One year later, according to tradition, Saint John appeared to Empress Elizabeth in a vision, requesting his relics be sent back to his homeland. Thus, his brother, retired hussar officer Prince Nikolai Saakadze, was permitted to transfer his remains. With the blessing of the Holy Synod and orders from King Teimuraz II, the saint’s body was brought to Tbilisi and buried in Sioni Cathedral with solemn reverence and great ceremony.
King George XII later opened the tomb twice. The first time was to cure his son, Prince Ilia, from an incurable fever. After prayerful invocation and touching the sick prince with the saint’s relic, Ilia was instantly healed. The second time, the tomb was opened to heal the king’s daughter, Princess Tamar, who also received miraculous healing upon contact with the relics. In gratitude, King George donated a silver icon of Saint John to adorn his tomb.
On another occasion, a severely ill monk who doctors had declared incurable dreamt he stood praying before the Virgin’s icon at Sioni Cathedral. Saint John appeared, interceded on his behalf, and the Mother of God healed him. Waking up, the monk felt immediately better, asked for food, and soon recovered completely.
For two and a half centuries, Saint John of Manglisi has protected Georgia from heaven. Honored greatly by God, what else can he desire except the respect, love, and veneration of us, his spiritual descendants?
Saint John of Manglisi, honored greatly by God yet sadly neglected by us, intercede for us sinners!
Prepared by Kakha Kenkishvili
Journal “Karibche,” No. 4 (15), 2005