Category: Hagiology

Symeon had made a vow to God—not to man—to become a monk. The way had now been opened for him to fulfill his vow. At that time, those who entered monastic life severed all ties with their former life. The long-awaited moment had come for the twenty-four-year-old Symeon to bid his parents farewell forever. They…

He was born during one of the darkest periods in Greek history. He came into the world in 1486, in the early decades of Ottoman rule, not long after the Fall of Constantinople. His life would unfold through a series of extraordinary events that continue to astonish those who learn of them. Until ?is Marriage…

He lived in the fifth century. His title, “Kalyvite,” comes from the Greek word kalyva, meaning “a small hut,” because he lived in such a dwelling. His life is deeply moving, dramatic, and profoundly instructive. Here is a brief account of it. His parents, citizens of Constantinople, were wealthy, respected, and devout Christians. They gave…

What follows is one of the most moving stories in the Orthodox Church—a story of Abramius, an elderly hermit, and his young niece, Saint Mary of Edessa. Let us approach this account with due reverence, for it recounts the lives of two Saints. Abramius was born at the end of the third century into a…

I had the blessing of meeting Saint Paisios the Hagiorite on three occasions. Each of these encounters proved to be a profound and instructive spiritual experience.  First group visit – 1972 In the summer of 1972, a group of students visited Saint Paisios at his remote cell, the Holy Cross, which belonged to the Holy…