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.
The protocol declaring his holiness issued by Ecumenical Patriarch Demetrius and the Holy Council of Constantinople stated: “...He excelled...in virtue, making himself, through piety and holiness of conduct, a model of life in Christ to be emulated and a living icon of virtue... He demonstrated himself as an apostolic and prophetic teacher for the Church and for the believers... He reached spiritual stature.” Alia became a vessel for the Holy Spirit exercising a rare love... God honored him with the gifts of healing the sick and suffering and with amazing intuition...”
In his prayers, he would not stop repeating these words: “How can I thank you, my Lord, for your abundant blessings?! To the ignorant and the sinner, you reveal your secrets. The world is enveloped in despair and is heading towards destruction, and you open the doors of eternal life for me, the last of all and the worst of all! O Master, I cannot be saved alone, so grant that the whole world may know you!”
He rested peacefully in the Lord on September 24, 1938.
