Cloud of Witnesses
Venerable (Monastic)16th century

Venerable Job Abbot of Pochaev

c. 1551 – 25 October 1651

Also known as Ivan Zhelezo

A Ukrainian monastic elder and abbot of Pochaev who defended Orthodoxy and guided the monastery for many years.

Feast Day
October 28
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Commemorated as

Our Venerable Father Job, Abbot of Pochaev, the Wonderworker

Life

Venerable Job of Pochaev (born Ivan Zalizo, also spelled Zhelezo) was a Ukrainian monastic elder, theological writer, and long-serving abbot of the Pochaiv monastery in Volhynia. Born around 1551 in Galicia, then part of the Polish kingdom, he entered monastic life as a boy and rose to lead two monasteries over a span of decades.

He is remembered chiefly as a defender of Orthodoxy in the contested borderlands of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, opposing Catholic and Protestant teaching in the era of the Union of Brest. As abbot of Pochaiv he introduced strict monastic discipline, established an influential printing press, and led the community through legal struggles over its miraculous icon of the Theotokos.

Said to have lived more than a hundred years, he reposed in 1651. His relics were uncovered incorrupt in 1659, the same year he was glorified, and he is commemorated as a wonderworker.

Timeline11 momentsReadHide
  1. c. 1551Birth in GaliciaBorn Ivan Zalizo (Zhelezo) near Kolomyia in the Pokuttia region of Galicia, then part of the Polish kingdom, to parents named John and Agapia of the Zalizo family.
  2. c. 1561Enters the monasteryAt about the age of ten he entered the Transfiguration Ugornyky Monastery; around age twelve he was tonsured a monk and given the name Job.
  3. c. 1581Abbot near DubnoAround the age of thirty he was ordained priest and became abbot (hegumen) of the Monastery of the Elevation of the Holy Cross outside Dubno, where he served roughly twenty years.
  4. 1604Joins PochaivHe joined the Pochaiv cave monastery and was in time elected hegumen, leading the community for many years.
  5. 1630Establishes the Pochaiv pressHe established a printing operation at Pochaiv that supplied Galicia and Volhynia with Orthodox theological literature; the press remained in operation until 1924.
  6. 1641Recovery of the miraculous iconAfter Andrzej Firlej seized the monastery's miraculous icon of the Theotokos in 1623, Job's leadership secured its return through a court decision in 1641.
  7. after 1642Tonsured into the Great SchemaHe was tonsured into the Great Schema and given the monastic name John.
  8. 25 October 1651ReposeHe reposed, by tradition having lived more than a hundred years.
  9. 8 August 1659GlorificationHe was glorified (canonized) as a saint.
  10. 28 August 1659Uncovering of relicsHis relics were uncovered and found incorrupt, reported to emit a heavenly fragrance.
  11. 28 August 1833Translation of relicsHis relics were transferred to a dedicated church (some sources date this to 1883).

Contributions & Legacy

3 contributionsReadHide

Early Monastic Life

According to his vita, Job was born Ivan Zalizo (Zhelezo) around 1551 in Galicia, near Kolomyia in the Pokuttia region, to parents named John and Agapia. He entered the Transfiguration Ugornyky Monastery at about the age of ten and was tonsured a monk at twelve, receiving the name Job.

Around the age of thirty he was ordained to the priesthood and made abbot of the Monastery of the Elevation of the Holy Cross outside Dubno, where he served for approximately twenty years before moving to Pochaiv in 1604.

Defense of Orthodoxy and Contributions

Job was a noted champion of Eastern Orthodoxy and a vocal critic of the Union of Brest, defending Orthodox teaching against Catholic and Protestant positions in the religiously divided Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. He was a prolific writer, with some eighty teachings and sermons compiled.

Previously associated with Prince Ostrogski's printing house, he brought that expertise to Pochaiv, establishing a press there in 1630 that became vital to the region and supplied Galicia and Volhynia with Orthodox literature until 1924. Sources also credit him with sponsoring the printing of the first complete Orthodox Bible (1581) and with participating in church councils, including the Synod of Kiev in 1628.

As hegumen of Pochaiv he introduced strict discipline and reforms of monastic life. He also led the monastery through a prolonged dispute over its miraculous icon of the Theotokos: after Andrzej Firlej seized the icon in 1623, the court ordered its return in 1641.

Relics & Shrines

Job reposed on 25 October 1651 (some sources give 28 October), said to have lived more than a hundred years. He was glorified as a saint on 8 August 1659.

His relics were uncovered on 28 August 1659 and found incorrupt, reported to give off a wonderful fragrance. A later translation of his relics to a dedicated church took place on 28 August 1833 (some sources say 1883). His shrine remains at the Pochaiv Lavra.

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Notes

Principal repose feast; also Aug 28 (recovery of relics).

Sources: OCA Synaxarion (oca.org), Lives of the Saints