Saint Silouan the Athos was born in Central Russia in 1866, and his family was peasant farmers. He was a simple person, strong in build, and his obsession with the divine had not left him since childhood. When he was nineteen years old, the Spirit of the Lord became intense in him, and he prayed a lot, crying over his sins. This continued for three months. Since then, his mind turned towards monasticism, but he waited for the end of his military service.
He arrived at the Monastery of Saint Panteleimon on Mount Athos in the fall of 1892. There is a way in which all monks follow: prayers in the cell, prayers in the church, fasting, vigils, confessions, communion, reading, work and obedience. The monks' testimonies about him were good. He served in the monastery mill. Few knew him well. Among these few was his student, Archimandrite Sophrony, who wrote his biography, collected his sayings, and was interested in highlighting the holiness of his biography until the Council of Constantinople declared him a saint in November 1987.
جاء في بروتوكول إعلان قداسته الذي صدر عن البطريرك المسكوني ديمتريوس والمجمع القسطنطيني المقدس: “..تفوق.. في الفضيلة، جاعلاً نفسه بالورع وقداسة السيرة أنموذج حياة في المسيح يحتذى وأيقونة حية للفضيلة… أظهر نفسه معلماً رسولياً ونبوياً للكنيسة وللمؤمنين.. بلغ قامة روحية عالية وأضحى إناء للروح القدس يمارس محبة نادرة.. شرّفه الله بمواهب شفاء المرضى والمتألمين وبحدس عجيب…”.
كان في صلاته لا يكف عن ترداد هذه الكلمات: “كيف أشكرك، ربي، على نعمك الجزيلة؟! فلجاهل ولخاطئ أنت تكشف أسرارك. العالم يلفه اليأس وإلى الهلاك يمضي، وأنت تفتح لي أبواب الحياة الأبدية، أنا، آخر الكل وأسوأ الجميع! أيها السيد ليس في وسعي أن أخلص وحيداً فهب العالم كله أن يعرفك!”.
He rested peacefully in the Lord on September 24, 1938.