Zenon of Khandzta

Venerable Zenon (Zeno) of Khandzta (ninth century) was the son of a notable man of Samtskhe, a monk of the Khandzta Monastery, a wonderworker and close disciple of Venerable Gregory of Khandzta. He is venerated as a saint in the Synaxis of the Venerable Fathers and Mothers of Klarjeti of the Orthodox Church of Georgia, canonized in October 2002; he is commemorated on 5 October (old calendar).

According to the Life of Gregory, from youth he had resolved to become a monk, but before fulfilling his resolve circumstances drove him: he pursued, armed, an abductor, and on the way he decided to fulfil "the vow of monks." So he became Gregory's closest disciple. He was of the "house" of Venerable Pheronia of Mere, that is, of her family. The Life calls him "a treasury of virtues, the holy order of monks, a wall of the deserts of Klarjeti, an expeller of evil spirits." He was a wonderworker and, one day, while they were singing Matins, the light of divine glory enveloped both him and Gregory, as Macarius of Opiza saw; at the grape harvest he accompanied the aged Gregory. He died in deep old age. His commemoration was entered in the calendar of the Church of Georgia in the second half of the twentieth century.