Venerable Paisius (Velichkovsky) (+1794)

The Venerable Paisius was born in the city of Poltava in 1722. Peter, who lost his father early, received his elementary education at home, and then studied at the Kiev Theological Academy; but his longing for the monastic life made the saint leave the academy, and he laboured for a long time in various monasteries.

In 1741 he was tonsured a rassophore with the name Parthenius. Because of the persecution of the Orthodox by the Uniates the saint travelled a great deal; at last he went to Mount Athos and there was tonsured a monk with the name Paisius. Soon the saint was ordained hieromonk too. He spent seventeen years on Mount Athos, but because of oppression by the Turks he was forced to leave that place and returned to Moldavia.

Very great are Saint Paisius’s labours in the life of the Russian Church. He reposed in peace on 15 November 1794.