The Ven. Cornelius was born in Pskov. Early having left the world, he thirsted for the strict monastic life and strict asceticism. Having left through Finland to the shores of the White Sea, drawing upon his zealousness in preaching the Gospel, he worked hard here, wandering in the dense forests, from settlement to settlement, quite often in danger of being lost or attacked by wild animals, or being killed by the followers of paganism. But the Lord protected the righteous one, and his apostolic activity was fruitful. Then reaching up to the small Paley Island on Lake Onega, the Venerable One decided to settle here for solitary asceticism and a life of contemplation. He constructed a small hut on this island, and devoted all his life to that of a hermit. The asceticism of the venerable one and his righteous life soon attracted many thirsting for help and spiritual strengthening and many visited the hut of the ascetic. They did not leave Paley Island any more, but remained to share prayerful work with the venerable one. The Venerable Cornelius did not interfere with their pious desire to work for the Lord. Having constructed cells for the newcomers near his hut, and then a small temple in honor and glory of the Nativity of the Virgin, the venerable one founded the Paleostrovskii Monastery, becoming its first hegumen. The management of the monastery involuntarily diverted the Venerable Cornelius from his rule of prayer and asceticism and he frequently, for observance of the rules went out to build a natural cave at the foot of one of the rocky mountains and there he practiced his ascetic fast and prayer, carrying on himself a heavy iron chain. Shortly before his death, the venerable one late at night during his prayer in the cave became worthy of the wonderful appearance of the Savior with a cross in His hands before him, and who blessed the humble ascetic and his monastery. The wonderful appearance was so delightful for the venerable one that he decided not to leave the cave where he became worthy of the beneficial vision. Having given his blessing to the brotherhood, and having installed his favorite disciple Abramius as the head of the monastery, he left for the cave for ever, as though having shut himself in it from all memory of the world, and here he soon reposed in peace in the Lord, about the year 1420.
The Ven. Abramius was the disciple and fervent follower of the ascetic life of Cornelius, who having come to Paley Island yet in the first days of building the monastery and worked hard together with his teacher for the benefit of the monastery. During his hegumenate, the Lord glorified the first head of the monastery, the Ven. Cornelius, reposing from the date of his death in the cave, and the Ven. Abramius and the brothers solemnly transferred his incorrupt, honorable relics to the cathedral monastic temple in honor of the Nativity of the Mother of God. The Ven. Abramius died at the beginning of the second half of the XV century. The Lord awarded him with the crown of incorruption. At the present time the relics of both ascetics repose in a hidden place in the temple of their monastery.




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