On Various Pious Monks
Venerable and aged Elder losaph, known for his hospitality, was an
established iconographer and member of the Iosaphites in Karyes. He told us,
"I have met many fathers who laboured endlessly to purify their inner world
and be saved. Among them I have known the following;
Elder Charalambros of great restraint, from the Foun¬tain of Life kellion.
Elder Methodios from St. Nicholas' kellion, known for his voluntary exile.
Very simple Elder Simeon the Chanter.
Mild Father Dionysios from the holy kellion of the Entrance of the Theotokos.
Elder Charalambros, the poorest and most simple of all. Konstamonitan monk
Philaretos the lantern-maker, who never left Mount Athos. Elder Arsenios the
woodcarver, noted for his silence and piety. Russian monk Lavrentios, frugal
and self-restrained.
Elder Dometios, known for fasting.
Father Neophytos the ever-charitable, unceasingly praying all night long.
Father Nikodemos the meek and mild, the good shepherd. The Romanian ascetic
who had the birds eating out of his hand. Elder Pachomios, one of the
Pachomian iconographers, who was a supporter of the Kollyvades and the
traditionalists. Monks Averkios and Charalambros, the most charitable
elders. The ever memorable monk loakim who, whenever I met him, would tell
me all about the many virtuous Agioritan fathers. Finally, possessionless
Elder Kosmas the silent.
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In the Russian monastery of St. Panteleimon lived many
hard-working monks:
Elder Serapion, who fed only on bread and water. Elder Sabinas, who for a
total of seven years did not sleep on a bed. Elder Dositheos who was always
exact in following
the rules. Elder Anatolios, blessed with the gift of repentance. Elders
Savinos and Seraphim, who had met St. Seraphim of Sarov.
In the holy skete belonging to the monastery of Xenophontos lived pious
fathers like Father Akakios, who had no evil in his heart. He had very
little schooling. He would read passages from the Bible to his guests, thus
avoid¬ing idle and empty talk. He died in 1927.
Also strict was Elder Chrysogonos who died in 1943.
In a hut suitable for goats lived an ascetic by the name of Elder Euthymios.
He had hung in the middle of his hut a sack full of toasted bread which was
his daily food.
The simple, century-old elder Gregorios lived on Mount Athos for eighty
years. He died not long ago. He was born in 1890 and had come to the skete
when he was eighteen. He had met the monk Moraitidis, and he was closely
asso¬ciated with the hermit Avimelech and the discerning Elder Daniel the
Katouniotan. His father confessor was Elder Akakios. We frequently enjoyed
his unpretentious, child¬like and serene company. One time he brought a book
by Ilias Miniatis and read to me a chapter on the Elevation of the Holy
Cross. As he read, his eyes filled with tears, this aged elder. It was a
sight worth seeing. He felt as if he were standing at the foot of the Lord's
cross.
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In Kafsokalyvia's skete lived many important monastics, some distinguished
for their virtues and others for their for¬mal education attained in the
world, and some for both-all of which had become part of their Greek
Orthodox soul. Among these were lonas, a disciple of Saint Akakios from
Kafsokalyvia, who reposed in 1665; Pelagios, a subordinate of lonas who
slept in the Lord in 1 754; Raphael; Neophytos, of Jewish descent, who was a
wise teacher; Eugenics . Voulgaris, who was in charge of the Athoniades
School on Mount Athos; Theokletos Karatzas the Byzantine, who died in 1777;
the long-bearded Methodios from Byzantium, who reposed in 1811; Philotheos
from Ismirne, who reposed in 1789; Monk Petros, who laboured in the Birth of
the Theotokos kalyve and died in 1865; the famous Nikodemos the confessor, a
subordinate to Arsenios, the great wood-carver who left behind two legendary
carvings, The Crucifix¬ion and The Second Coming, for which he spent fifteen
years'
work to finish; and Pavlos and Panteleimon the spiritual fathers, both of
whom were discerning and charismatic, se¬rious and silent, sweet and mild
when they had to advise anyone..
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Father Germanos Chair tells us the following about the Kafsokalyvitan
fathers, whom we respected greatly:
They would stand up during all night vigils, resembling steadfast pillars,
always keeping their eyes turned to the ground. The church had many such
elders. They were all silent. They did not waste time with idle talk. They
kept with exactness their spiritual life. The one who shone more than the
rest of them with his illuminated life was Elder Auxentios. He resembled a
star. He lived in the kellion of the great martyr St. George. He used a clay
urn in which to boil wild greens, the only food he had to live on regularly.
Sometimes he ate bread also, but nothing else. He lived in the skete for
approximately sixty years.
