Athanasius of Sihastria

Athanasius was a hieroschemamonk and hermit in the clearing where Sihăstria Monastery stands today, in the first half of the seventeenth century; he fell asleep around 1650. He is named in the Romanian Paterikon and venerated by the faithful, without synodal canonization; the sources available to us give no day of commemoration.

He had taken his vows at Neamț Monastery. After several years of obedience in the community, he withdrew far from the world, a few kilometres above Secu Monastery, to speak unceasingly with God. At that time the Sihăstria valley, the mountains and forests around it, formed one of the best-⁠known hesychast hearths of Moldavia.

He made a hut of wood and earth in the clearing and struggled there many years. He became confessor of the hermits in the area and a skilled teacher of the Jesus Prayer. The fame of his name reached the centre of Moldavia, to Metropolitan Varlaam and the prince. The clearing was later called the Hermit's Clearing or Aftănas's Clearing, and his disciples founded Sihăstria Skete there.

In 1655 seven aged hieroschemamonks, his disciples, took counsel to raise a wooden skete in Aftănas's Clearing, in honour of the Mother of God. After an all-⁠night vigil they placed the icon of the Mother of God in a fir tree and pledged that the Mother of God should not tolerate in that place those who commit sins of the flesh, those who keep a separate purse and those who eat meat in the skete. Bishop Gideon of Roman confirmed the pledge and raised a small wooden church dedicated to the Nativity of the Mother of God. So Sihăstria Monastery came into being. Athanasius, who had fallen asleep around 1650, left numerous disciples.