The Reverend Monk Gervasios, Simonopetrite, in the Refectory of the Sacred Monastery with theAbbess Diodora, during his historic visit here on 25 Sept. 1999; he died a martyr’s death during the torrential rain in Holy Mountain, 24 September/7 October 2000.

          My Respected Father, Elder Dionysios,
          My beloved, give the blessing.
          With the opportunity of Fr. Bartholomew’s visit to our Monastery, I bless the chance which is given to me to speak with You by letter.
          You are far away from me, but not absent from me. All of my history is tied to You. You cannot be separated from me. You are the treasure, and I its box. What matters is that the treasure not be lost. You became wealthy very quickly from the treasures that were hidden in the heart and the word of the Elder (Aemilianos). Bound to you, I was bound to the Elder. Always, a key is necessary.
          In this way the years have gone by; always envious of Your history, I was to be found under Your feet, while You are, as from the very beginning, a supplicatory angel. So I am on Your shoulders and You take me up, granting me light and direction with the remembrance of Your word, Your letters, and mainly, with Your example. And so the recollection matures me continually, be it ever so slowly. Especially these years in which the Elder has been away from us.
          My beloved, return (Bas. I: 26, 21) to those original lively days, and return again those days of chastening to your children. I don’t have the possibility to learn news of You. But for sure I can imagine the climate and the air which Your monasteries breathe, of reciprocal life in joy and spiritual uplifting and labor, between their father and them, and amongst themselves.
          I wish, if I may, that Your word may bear fruit wherever it falls and be added to the edification of the Church beside, beside the Cornerstone, which the Elder and Christ are.
          With respect and love,
          Monk Gervasios,
          22 July 1999,
          Holy Monastery of Simonos Petras, Mt. Athos.

This Calendar, for the year 2001, contains excerpts from the address of the Very Reverend Archimandrite Aemilianos, Abbot of the Sacred Monastery of Simonos Petros, Mt. Athos, Spiritual Father and Elder of the Very Reverend Archimandrite Dionysios, Founder/Builder and Spiritual Father of our Sacred Monastery, at the latter's tonsure by the former into the Great Schema, at Simonos Petras on 3 October 1977, the Commemoration of St. Dionysios the Aeropagite. The Secretary of our Monastery, the Reverend Nun Aemiliane, had responisibility for the calendar.

EXALTATION OF THE HOLY CROSS MONASTERY
322 00 THEBES BOEOTIA, GREECE.
email: ypsosis@fhc.org
Telephone: 30.226.2062265
Fax: 30.226.2062004
To send e-mail to the monastery, click the mailbox below:

These pages are created and maintained by The Friends of the Holy Cross
215 Kalorama Street, Staunton, VA, 24401, USA.
Telephone: +1-541-886-4031
FAX: +1-541-886-9707
To e-mail the Friends click here.
© Copyright by: Friends of the Holy Cross, all rights reserved.
No part of these pages may be reproduced without permission of the Friends of the Holy Cross.