Saint Innocent, Metropolitan of Moscow (in the world Ivan Yevseevich Popov-Veniaminov), was born on August 26, 1797 in the village of Anginsky, Irkutsk diocese, in the family of a sexton. The boy learned to read and write early and from the age of 7 he was already reading the Apostles in the church. In 1806, he was sent to the Irkutsk Seminary. Here, as the best pupil, the young man was given the surname Veniaminov in honor of the late Archbishop Veniamin of Irkutsk (+ July 8, 1814). On May 13, 1817, he was ordained a deacon at the Church of the Annunciation in Irkutsk, and on May 18, 1821, he was ordained a priest.
In 1823, the missionary ministry of the future apostle of America and Siberia began. Saint Innocent devoted 45 years to the cause of educating the peoples of Kamchatka, the Aleutian Islands, North America, Yakutia, and the Khabarovsk Territory, performing his apostolic feat in harsh conditions with great dangers to life. Saint Innocent baptized tens of thousands of people, built churches, founded schools, and taught them the basics of Christian life. His knowledge of various crafts and arts helped him a lot in his work.
Saint Innocent was a remarkable preacher. While celebrating liturgies, prayer services, and all-night vigils, he invariably instructed his flock. During his numerous trips, Saint Innocent studied the language, way of life, and customs of the peoples among whom he preached. His works on geography, ethnography and linguistics have gained worldwide fame. He compiled the alphabet and grammar of the Aleut-Lisy language and translated the Catechism, the Gospel and many prayers into it. One of his best works, "Pointing the Way to the Kingdom of Heaven" (1833), has been translated into various languages of the small peoples of Siberia and has gone through more than 40 editions. Thanks to the labors of St. Innocent, in 1859, the Yakuts heard the Word of God and worship in their native language for the first time.
On November 29, 1840, Metropolitan Filaret of Moscow tonsured Father John into monasticism with the name Innocent, in honor of St. Innocent of Irkutsk. On December 15, Archimandrite Innokenty was consecrated bishop of Kamchatka, Kuril and Aleut. On April 21, 1850, Bishop Innocent was elevated to the rank of archbishop.
By God's providence, on January 5, 1868, St. Innocent succeeded Metropolitan Filaret in the chair of the Moscow First Hierarchs. Through the Holy Synod, Metropolitan Innocent consolidated the centuries-old missionary experience of the Russian Church (back in 1839, he proposed a project to improve the organization of missionary service). A Missionary Society was established under the care of Metropolitan Innocent, and the Moscow Pokrovsky Monastery was transformed into a missionary monastery in 1870. The Japanese Orthodox Spiritual Mission was established, headed by Archimandrite Nikolai Kasatkin (later Saint Nicholas of Japan, commemorated on February 3/16), to whom Saint Innocent passed on much of his spiritual experience. The administration of the Moscow Diocese by St. Innocent was also very fruitful. Through his efforts, the Church of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos was built at the Moscow Theological Academy.
Saint Innocent reposed to the Lord on March 31, 1879, on Holy Saturday, and was buried in the Holy Spirit Church of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. On October 6, 1977, St. Innocent was glorified as a saint by the Russian Orthodox Church. His memory is set to be celebrated twice a year: on March 31/ April 13 – on the day of his blessed repose and on September 23/ October 6 – on the day of glorification.