St. Silouan celebrated with consecration of new monument in Greece, hundreds of pilgrims on Mt. Athos

Gomati, Chalkidiki, Greece; Mt. Athos, September 25, 2017

Photo: agionoros.ru

On the day of his feast yesterday, a monument in honor of St. Silouan the Athonite was consecrated and transferred to the municipality of Gomati in the northern Greek region of Chalkidiki, reports pravoslavie.ru.

The monument was made in Russia with public money in response to the appeal of the brethren of the Russian St. Panteleimon’s Monastery on Mt. Athos to President Vladimir Putin. The monument is the work of the hands of sculptor Paul Zhuravlev.

The solemn ceremony of the transfer and consecration of the monument was attended by representatives of the Greek and Russian Churches and of Mt. Athos, including Archbishop Theognost of Sergiev Posad, Archimandrite Evlogy of St. Panteleimon’s Monastery, and Schemamonk Paul of the Great Lavra on Mt. Athos. The event was also attended by public officials of Russia and Greece, and representatives of the Greek public organization “Russian House.”

The great Athonite saint of the 20th century was also gloriously celebrated on Mt. Athos in St. Panteleimon’s Monastery where he offered his labors to the Lord. Monks from the various monasteries and cells on the Holy Mountain, along with more than 500 pilgrims from Greece, Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania, and other countries gathered for the All-Night Vigil and Divine Liturgy on Saturday and Sunday, reports Russian Athos.

The celebrations were attended by Metropolitan Rostislav of Tomsk and Asino, Archbishop Seraphim of Kaliningrad and the Baltics, Bishop Varnava of Vyksa and Pavlovo, and Bishop Silouan of Kolpashevo and Strezhevoy.

Saint Silouan (1866-1938) is a Russian Saint who lived on Mt. Athos in the Monastery of St. Panteleimon and known for his ascetic feats and spiritual teachings. He was glorified by the Patriarchate of Constantinople on November 26, 1987. The memory of St. Silouan celebrated on September 11/24.