The sliver was donated to the museum by local historians. It is a piece of wood that used to serve as a support for the door to St. Seraphim’s cell.
In 1810, at the age of 56, St. Seraphim returned to the monastery after living for 15 years at the Farther Hermitage as a hermit. He came back to his former cell and lived there in voluntary seclusion for another 15 years. For the first five years, nobody saw him, not even his brother, who brought him scarce food. After five years, the elder opened the door and allowed anyone to visit him. However, he would not answer the questions of those seeking his guidance. He continued his spiritual work in silence. Those who visited him described the sparsely furnished cell. It contained only an icon of the Virgin Mary, with a lamp in front of it, and a simple wooden stump that served as the elder’s chair. There was an unpainted oak coffin in the entrance room, and the saint prayed near it, preparing for the transition between earthly and eternal life.
At the end of his solitary life, by the will of God, St. Seraphim once again started talking to serve the world. It was in this cell that he received two visits from the Virgin Mary.
On November 25, 1825, the Virgin Mary, together with two other saints whose feasts were celebrated during that day, appeared to the elder in a vision and commanded him to stop living in seclusion and minister to those who needed guidance, comfort, direction, and healing.
The monk opened the doors of his cell to everyone from early morning until eight o’clock every evening. The elder saw into the hearts of those who came. Similar to a doctor, he healed their physical and mental ailments through prayer and the power of God’s grace. Those who visited St. Seraphim felt his love and listened to his gentle words as he addressed his visitors gently as “my joy, ” or “my treasure.”
The saint’s heart was filled with love, and it drew everyone to him. He possessed foresight, understanding the spiritual nature, thoughts, and circumstances of each person’s life. The will of God was revealed to him regarding each individual, so his advice was seen as coming from God himself.
One year and ten months before
his passing, on the Feast of the Annunciation, Saint Seraphim was honored by another
appearance of the Virgin Mary, accompanied by John the Baptist, John the Apostle,
and 12 female martyrs. The Virgin Mary spoke with the elder for a long time and
said,
