Sisoes the Schemamonk

Venerable Sisoes the Schemamonk (Sisoes of the Caves) was a monk of the Kiev Caves Lavra, who lived at the end of the thirteenth and the beginning of the fourteenth century. He is a saint venerated in the Orthodox Church. His commemoration is on 6 July, by the old calendar (19 July on the new style).

It is not known when or where he was born or who his parents were. Before taking the schema he was a hieromonk, or according to a Ukrainian source a canonarch. Saint Sisoes was a faster, overcame all the passions of body and spirit and received great grace from God. All who knew him marvelled at his abstinence. He spent his whole life in monastic labours, foretold the day of his death and reposed in the monastery.

His relics are in the Far Caves. In the akathist to all the venerable fathers of the Caves it is said of him: Rejoice, Sisoes, for by extraordinary labours of fasting you astonished not only men but also angels.