Mt. Athos, September 18, 2025
Photo: vimaorthodoxias.gr
The renowned Athonite Elder Archimandrite Vasileios (Gontikakis), former abbot of Stavronikita and Iveron Monasteries on Mt. Athos, reposed in the Lord early yesterday morning after a prolonged hospitalization following an accident last month.
The 90-year-old Elder, who had been receiving treatment in intensive care since late August, passed away as a result of complications from a serious spinal injury sustained in a fall at Iveron Monastery on the eve of the Dormition of the Theotokos. The accident occurred just before Vespers, when the Elder lost his balance and fell, requiring emergency surgery and intensive care treatment, reports the Orthodoxia News Agency.
His funeral service will be held today at 2 p.m. at the Holy Monastery of Iveron on Mt. Athos, where he served with dedication and humility for many years. Monks, his spiritual children, and faithful from throughout Greece and abroad are expected to attend to honor an elder who marked an entire era with his example.
For the English-speaking Orthodox world, Elder Vasileios was best known for his book Hymn of Entry and a series of booklets published by Alexander Press. Sebastian Press has also published a three-volume collection of his selected works.
May his memory be eternal!
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Born in Heraklion, Crete, to a family originally from Kefalovriso Viannou, Archimandrite Vasileios became one of the most influential figures of contemporary Athonite monasticism. His presence and spiritual activity on Mt. Athos coincided chronologically with the new flowering of Athonite monasticism observed intensely in our era, and his contribution to this spiritual renaissance was decisive.
He served for 22 years (1968-1990) as abbot of the Holy Monastery of Stavronikita, which he staffed, organized, and transformed into an exemplary cenobitic community. From August 15, 1990, until 2005, he served as abbot of the Holy Monastery of Iveron, one of the largest and most historic monasteries of Mount Athos, which he restored to the cenobitic way of life and spiritually renewed.
Fr. Vasileios was not merely a monk of Athos but also a scholar, author, inspirer, and guide. Through his writings, homilies, and interventions, he offered illumination on matters of spiritual life and essential witness for how contemporary people can find the path of Christ. His reputation extended beyond the borders of Greece, making him respected throughout the Orthodox world.
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