Meletius of Stânișoara Monastery

Venerable Meletius of Stânișoara Monastery is commemorated on 3 September (new style), together with Saint Neophytus, with whom he struggled on the same mountain. He is believed to have come from a village near Cozia Monastery, which he entered as a monk at an early age.

After years of fasting and prayer in the community, he received his abbot's blessing to go to the hermit fathers and struggle beyond the Olt. He dug a cave in the southern part of Mount Sălbaticul, received the great schema and laboured there for over forty years, with tears, prostrations, fasts and vigils, in battle with unclean spirits. Six days he stayed in the cave, and on Sunday he went to Venerable Daniel the confessor at Turnu and received communion. He fetched his water in a jug from far away, so as to pray more. In old age, no longer able to go down, he prayed to God and, through the care of the Mother of God, a spring welled up right in front of his cave, called “Meletius' Spring”, which flows to this day. God glorified him with the gift of miracles, healings and comfort for the sorrowing.

After long labours and deep old age he entrusted his soul to God. Part of his relics, which rested long in the cave, were later divided by the faithful, and the cave is a place of prayer to this day.