Dionysios of Little St Anne's

Dionysios of Little St Anne's, a hieromonk, was born in 1930 at Lavrion in Attica. In 1946 he came to the hut of the Dormition of the Theotokos in Little Saint Anne's, under the obedience of the venerable Elder Avimelech (d. 1965). At the rasophore tonsure he received the name Chrysostomos, and in the great schema Dionysios. In 1953 he was ordained deacon by Metropolitan Hierotheos of Miletoupolis (d. 1956), and in 1959 priest by Nathanael of Kos (d. 1978). His whole life was, by common admission, monastic, struggling and Athonite.

He was distinguished above all as confessor of many monks and lay people. He gave rest to thousands of souls by his discernment, prudence and love. The Pauline saying, "Let your forbearance be known to all," possessed him; witnesses are his many dear spiritual children. He had a large and blessed company. He was much tried by illnesses and temptations. On 13 May 1998 he died after a long hospitalization. At his funeral many came to pray for his blessed soul and to escort him to his resting place, beside the graves of the late Elder Gerasimos (d. 1991) and hieromonk Metrophanes (d. 1997), among the rocks where he had lived for half a century.

He was a graceful, sweet, hospitable and sober man, without ambition, who loved "living unknown" and the company of venerable elders. In his fine manner he desired "that all be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth." His spiritual son, Metropolitan Panteleimon of Veroia, says: "Asceticism, prayer, unceasing and intense struggle, but above all the all-⁠powerful grace of God that filled the soul of Father Dionysios, made him a discerning confessor, a loving father, a wise and unerring guide of the souls that ran to him." Another spiritual son, Archimandrite Chrysostom Papadakis, writes: "Under your stole I found the gifted confessor-⁠healer. Not the judge. I found one who could give complete rest to the holy ascetic, the bishop, the monk, the priest of the world, the student, the actor, the singer, any artist, the scientist, the struggling worker, everyone, down to the last brother. You always confessed standing in your stall, despite your weariness." The venerable Elder Ephraim of Katounakia testified that he had from heaven the gift of confession. He is venerated by the faithful, without synodal canonization.