Ioanichie Balan

Ioanichie Bălan, born on 10 February 1930 at Stănița, in Neamț, was an archimandrite, confessor and writer of Sihăstria Monastery, author of the Romanian Paterikon. He died on 22 November 2007 at Sihăstria. He is venerated by the faithful, without synodal canonization.

After the Commercial Lyceum in Roman, he came to Sihăstria on 4 November 1949, was tonsured by Metropolitan Sebastian Rusan on 14 April 1953 and ordained deacon the next day. Between 1949 and 1971 he held at Sihăstria the obediences of cashier, accountant, secretary and guide. From 1955 he stood out as a preacher and writer. Between 1971 and 1990, under pressure from the communist authorities, he was moved to Bistrița Monastery in Neamț. In the same period he attended the Theological Institute in Bucharest, with the thesis Portraits of Accomplished Monks from the Neamț Monasteries (1971-1975). He was ordained hieromonk by Metropolitan Teoctist on 2 February 1979, protosyncellus in 1984 and archimandrite in 1992. In 1990 he returned to Sihăstria, where he continued his missionary work.

His work includes dozens of volumes on Romanian monastic life: the Romanian Paterikon (1980, fifth edition 2005), Hearths of Romanian Hermit Life (1981), Spiritual Conversations, Sihăstria Monastery, Pilgrimage to the Holy Places, the General Orthodox Synaxarion, lives of Father Paisie and Father Cleopa, Father Cleopa Speaks to Us (nineteen volumes), Saint Theodora of Sihla and Saint Bishop John. He also edited the Lives of the Saints in twelve volumes, after Metropolitan Gregory the Teacher's edition of 1834-1836. His Paterikon is the main source for a large part of the monks commemorated in our Romanian synaxarion.

He died on 22 November 2007 and is buried in the cemetery of Sihăstria Monastery. He is remembered by monks as a man of the Spirit and of writing. He has no synodal canonization.