St. John Maximovitch

St. John Maximovitch  

  

A few years ago, in the town of Mulino, Oregon, in the United States, an amazing and wonderful event took place. It involved a godly woman of Russian descent who was a member of the New Martyrs of Russia Orthodox Church, where Father Sergei Sveshnikov is the priest. The vestments of St. John are kept in this parish.  This woman was in the last week of her pregnancy (just before the expected day of childbirth), and went to her doctor’s office for the final general check-up. During the check, everyone was shocked as the doctor diagnosed the baby as dead in the woman's womb. She was told that there were birth defects and that she would be forced to give birth to the dead infant immediately. The woman fainted, and when she regained her senses, she was being administered medications that would cause her to begin contractions, labour, and childbirth. She demanded to stop immediately and asked to call her priest, Father Sergei. When Father Sergei learned what was happening, he told her to do nothing and wait for him. He arrived shortly afterwards with St. John's vestments, and formed them in a cross across the woman's abdomen. To the surprise of everyone, the ultrasound screen showed that the infant’s heart began to beat again! The child was born alive and healthy soon afterwards, and he was named John in honour of the saint.