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Venerable (Monastic)14th century

Venerable Titus the Soldier of the Kiev Caves

14th century

Also known as Titus the Former Soldier of the Kiev Caves

A former soldier wounded in battle who, leaving the world, entered the Kiev Caves and pleased God by his monastic struggles and repentance.

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Commemorated as

Our Venerable Father Titus the Soldier, of the Kiev Caves

Life

Venerable Titus the Soldier was a monk of the Kiev Caves Monastery who, according to tradition, had previously served as a soldier noted for his bravery. A serious head wound received in battle left him with a lingering illness that forced him to leave military service, and he entered the monastery, where he received healing.

Tonsured a monk, Titus devoted the remainder of his life to prayer and repentance, spending his time in unceasing mourning for his earlier sins. The tradition relates that before his death he was assured through a heavenly apparition that all of his sins had been forgiven. He is assigned to the 14th century, and his relics repose in the Far Caves of Saint Theodosius at the Kiev Caves Lavra.

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TroparionTone 8

By a flood of tears you made the desert fertile,
and your longing for God brought forth fruits in abundance.
By the radiance of miracles you illumined the whole universe!
O our holy father Titus, pray to Christ our God to save our souls!

Text used with permission of the Orthodox Church in America (oca.org).

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  1. 14th centuryMilitary service and battle woundTitus serves as a soldier known for his bravery and is seriously wounded by a head injury in battle, leaving him with an illness that ends his military career.
  2. 14th centuryEntry into the Kiev Caves MonasteryLeaving the world, Titus enters the Kiev Caves Monastery, where he receives healing and is tonsured a monk.
  3. 14th centuryReposeAfter a life of prayer and repentance, marked by unceasing mourning for his earlier sins, Titus reposes. Tradition holds that he was assured of the forgiveness of his sins through a heavenly apparition before his death.

Contributions & Legacy

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Life of Repentance

The surviving accounts of Titus center on his transformation from a soldier into a penitent monk. Having been known for bravery in war, he was gravely wounded in battle by a head injury, and the resulting illness compelled him to abandon military service.

Within the monastery he was healed and received the monastic tonsure. The tradition emphasizes that he passed his monastic years in continual repentance and mourning for the sins of his former life, and that before his death he received a heavenly assurance that those sins had been forgiven.

Relics and Veneration

Titus is venerated among the saints of the Kiev Caves, and his relics repose in the Far Caves of Saint Theodosius at the Kiev Caves Lavra.

In addition to his individual commemoration on February 27, he is named among the Synaxis of the Saints of the Kiev Caves whose relics repose in the Far Caves of Venerable Theodosius, a collective commemoration celebrated on August 28. The Far Caves synaxis records his individual feast days as January 27 and February 27.

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Distinct namesake: a different Saint Titus of the Kiev Caves, the presbyter whose relics repose in the Near Caves, also commemorated on February 27.
Venerable Titusthe Presbyter of the Kiev Caves
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Sources: OCA Synaxarion (oca.org), Lives of the Saints