Varlaam Vantu

Varlaam Vantu was a Romanian hieroschemamonk, born in 1833 and reposed in 1934, a struggler at the cell of St Nicholas at Iufta, on the land of Pantokrator Monastery on the Holy Mountain. He is venerated by the faithful, without a synodal canonization.

He was the son of devout peasants from Buimaceni in Botosani county. As a young man he went to Athos and was tonsured at a Romanian cell. After many years of asceticism he returned to Romania and stayed at the Cozancea Skete in Botosani, where he was ordained and made abbot in 1899. For twelve years he led the skete as a skilled spiritual father, raised many disciples in the fear of God, obedience, prayer and almsgiving, and the skete lived a time of flourishing.

In 1912 he returned to Athos to end his life there, and in spite of his age and rank chose to become the disciple of a very strict elder, the Moldavian hieromonk Nicholas of the cell of St Nicholas at Iufta (Kapsala). Nicholas had begun to build the saint's church but could not finish it; grieved, he hung the icon of St Nicholas on a tree and prayed for help. Just then Varlaam arrived, helped finish the church and gathered a few good disciples. He reposed in 1934 at peace and was buried beside the church, next to his spiritual father.