Innocent of Irkutsk

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Innocent of Irkutsk
Apostle to Siberia
Born	c. 1680, Chernigov region, Russia
Died	November 26, 1731, Irkutsk, Siberia, Russia
Canonized	February 9, 1804 by The Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church
Major shrine	Znamensky Monastery, Irkutsk, Siberia, Russia
Feast	November 26 (repose) February 9 (translation and glorification) September 2 (second translation)
Saints Portal

St. Innocent of Irkutsk (c. 1680-November 27, 1731) was a missionary to Siberia and the first bishop of Irkutsk in Russia.

In 1721 he was consecrated as bishop of China was was unable to gain access to the country. He was therefore appointed to the see of Irkutsk in 1727. He died in 1731 and was buried beneath the altar of the Tikhvin church of Ascension Monastery.

During restoration work on the churhc in 1764, Innocent's relics were found to be incorrupt. After numerous miracles attributed to his intercession, he was glorified a saint by the Russian Orthodox Church in 1804. Since the actual date of his repose coincides with the commemoration of the icon of the Theotokos "Of the Sign" of Novgorod, his feast day was moved to the day prior.

In 1921 the Soviet government confiscated his relics and placed them on display in various museums as a "Siberian mummy". The relics were returned to the Church on September 7, 1990.

This saint is occasionally confused with the later Innocent of Alaska who was named in his honor.