Paisii

Paisii was a schemaarchimandrite of Bulgarian descent, born at Kilia in Bessarabia, who died in 1871, abbot of the Skete of St Elias on Athos. He is venerated by the faithful, without a synodal canonization.

His parents moved from Philippopolis to Kilia, then to Kishinev. At fifteen he entered the Dobrusha monastery, but did not stay long, for Metropolitan Gabriel of Kishinev and Khotin, visiting the monastery, noticed him and ordered the abbot to send him to the metropolis. In 1839, with the leave of the diocesan authorities, he went to the Holy Mountain, bought a cell in the skete of Kavsokalyvia and settled there with his friend and companion, the hierodeacon, also named Paisius. The news of his high spirituality spread over all Athos: monks of various monasteries came in streams for counsel and marvelled at his discernment and foresight. In the summer of 1841 the brethren of the Skete of St Elias chose him by lot as abbot; he refused, but the lot fell on him a second time, and, convinced by them, he accepted. His first work was to put the skete's churches in order: he completed the cathedral of St Mitrophan. He reposed in 1871.