Righteous Tryphon of Pechenga

Saint Tryphon of Pechenga (born Mitrofan) was born in 1495 in the Novgorod lands, the son of a priest. In his youth he lived a violent life on the border, reportedly shedding blood in raids, a sin he bitterly repented for the rest of his life. Hearing an inner call from God, he withdrew to the Kola Peninsula to preach to the pagan Sami (Lapp) people, learning their language and customs. Enduring hardship, persecution, and beatings from local shamans, he patiently brought many Sami to Christ, baptizing them in the Pechenga River. In 1532, together with Hieromonk Ilia and Blessed Theodoritus of Kola, he founded the Holy Trinity Pechenga Monastery at the confluence of the Manya and Pechenga rivers — the northernmost Orthodox monastery of its time. Out of humility, Tryphon refused to become abbot, appointing a disciple instead, while he himself performed the hardest labors, even carrying millstones over 150 versts on his own back. He reposed on December 15, 1583, at age 88.