About to depart for Shanghai, Abbess Rufina foresaw that she would never return to Harbin. In the summer of 1937 the illness from which she suffered worsened. In one of her sleepless nights, Nun Ariadna, who was in Harbin, heard the voice of her Abbess calling, "Gutya, hurry up!" (Gutya is the diminutive of Augusta, which was the name of Mother Ariadna in the world.) Having had no news from Shanghai, Nun Ariadna left at once for Shanghai and arrived on July 8, the Feast of the Kazan Icon of the Mother of God. She rushed to Abbess Rufina who was bedridden and very weak, but peaceful.
On the Feast day of St. Olga (July 11), Abbess Rufina's name day in the world, although still very sick, she was able to attend the Moleben served in the Convent's Church. On August 1 she began to ask several times whether the Feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God had passed. Those who surrounded her could not understand why she should ask that. Her condition worsened, and it was decided to take her to the hospital. Foreseeing the approach of death, the Abbess called the sisters to her and gave them her motherly counsel: "Live in peace, love and agreement. Love God above all, and give to Him your souls and hearts." After those words each approached her for her blessing with the miracle-working Icon, and she asked from each forgiveness. She was asked by all instructions and blessings for the future.
On several occasions during her last days, Archbishop John (Maximovitch) of Shanghai brought Abbess Rufina Holy Unction and Communion. She prayed constantly, often calling out the name of Nun Ariadna and that of her spiritual father, Father Peter. She felt sorry for some Vera, for whom she prayed for a long time. She begged that some unknown person be fed and given shoes and clothing. On Friday, August 14, she asked again that all the sisters and the orphans come to the hospital for a blessing. They all stood around her bed weeping. As she prayed constantly and often mumbled different things, the sisters nearby noticed that her arm had become blue, but the nails of her hand remained normal.
In the evening, Archbishop John came again and gave her Holy Communion. He stood there for a long time and awaited her death. Peacefully she said, "Everything is finished, I will go to a new apartment." She read Psalms and sticheras to the Feast of the Dormition, and then said, "The bells are ringing. They sing beautifully. There are lots of people. Hurry up, let me go."
During these pre-death hours, she would answer the thoughts of those nearby. Thus when Nun Ariadna was in bitter despair, and was thinking, "What will I do?" Abbess Rufina instantly answered, "Ask everything from the bishop, and in Shanghai, leave everything as it is." How terrible they felt as they saw the terrible hour of death arrive. "Great mercy of God was given to mankind, limitless mercy and love does the Mother of God show to us sinners, yet we are deaf and blind to the Divine Voice of Love.... We here, outside of Russia, more and more, are summoning upon ourselves the righteous wrath of the Judge. There is no peace or love in our hearts. If all of us, exiles from our native land, would fall down with a mighty cry before the miracle-working Icon of the Heavenly Queen, and with one voice and heart exclaim to Her thus: `Oh Mother of God, save the Russian land and save us!' Then wouldn't she hear us? Oh yes, my beloved ones! She will hear us! She will obtain for us, from Her beloved Son, the possibility of changing His wrath to mercy. If we only repent and give a promise to direct our lives according to the Commandments of God." These are the words of Abbess Rufina before her blessed repose.
At 3:25 a.m., August 15, 1937, the Feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God, her breathing became quieter and slower. At 3:49 she took a last, deep breath. Instantly, her face changed - Abbess Rufina was breathless. On their knees, the sisters wept for a long time. Mother Ariadna closed the eyes of Abbess Rufina forever, and crossed her arms on her breast.
"And thus, our Spiritual Mother and Directress left this life, but her life's work continues to live. And I, the humble successor of the late Abbess Rufina, witness even now many examples of her intercessions before the Throne of the Most High and before the Queen of Peace, which have been revealed to us personally and witnessed to by many who knew her, and even those who didn't know her during her life. In a sequence of letters and oral accounts it has been described how the late Abbess Rufina appeared in visions and dreams, calling people to prayer, to help those with needs, and how she appeared with words of consolation and instruction. It is difficult to enumerate the individual cases, but I will cite only one which is more striking.
We received a letter from the United States - from St. Louis, Missouri - which described the appearance of Abbess Rufina three times in a dream to a lady who was seriously sick. Abbess Rufina told her to pray in order to strengthen the state of her soul and body which was tormented by illness. Thus even after her death, she remembers us, our sicknesses and needs, both spiritual and physical, and hastens to help and instruct us.
"Let my words not sound strange to you, believing Orthodox readers. For each of us must always remember the words of the Apostle: `Jesus Christ, the same, yesterday, and today, and forever.' (Heb. 13:8) If there were people who loved Him in the first centuries of Christianity, then there are even today, though not always visible to the world,those who are both misunderstood and persecuted. But they were, and will remain, true sorrowers for all those who suffer. Without them, without their prayers. without their poduigs, the world will cease to exist. And that city will perish in which there are none who love God. Doomed is that land where there are no ascetics who stand up for the Truth.
" `Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God, consider the outcome of their life, and imitate their faith.' (Heb.13:7, RSV)" The sisters became orphaned and only then did we understand why our Abbess kept inquiring whether the Feast of the Dormition had passed. Abbess Rufina was buried in the cemetary of Liu-Ka-Vay, in the city of Shanghai, where many Russian emigres found their last resting place. Abbess Rufina is not amidst us any more, but her spirit is alive in the Co nvent of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God which she founded, and which stems from the ancient St. John the Theologian Monastery in Cherdyn. Unseen ties connect the Holy Convent with its beloved Abbess whose pure soul even now stands before the Throne of the Almighty.
+ Abbess Ariadna