On the evening of 20 Mar/2 Apr. nun Taisia (Serezhnikova) was tonsured into the small schema. Sister Taisia (Tatiana in the world), originally from France, was baptized in infancy by St. John (Maximovich), then Archbishop of Western Europe. He also became her godfather. Through his prayers, the Lord brought Tatiana to the convent of St. Mary Magdalene in Jerusalem, where she labored for exactly 25 years.
After the proclamation of her monastic vows, the head of the Russian Ecclesiastical Mission in Jerusalem, Archimandrite Roman (Krassovsky), tonsured her with the name of Iliodora, in honor of the St. Iliodor of the Glinsk Hermitage (commemorated 9/22 September). Then Fr. Roman handed the newly tonsured member of the retinue of monastic sisters of St. Mary Magdalene to the abbess of the monastery Mother Elisabeth (Smelic).
The Abbess of the Gornensky Convent, Mother Ekaterina (Chernysheva), a relative of Mother Iliodora, was present at the tonsure.
Tags: Archim. Roman (Krassovsky), convent of St. Mary Magdalene, Monastic Tonsure, Mother Ekaterina (Chernysheva), Mother Elisabeth (Smelic)