View source for Aristoklis of Mount Athos

Elder '''Aristoklis of Mount Athos and Moscow''' (Alexei Alexeyevich Amvrosiev) (1846-1918) was a hieromonk at Mount Athos and the rector of the Moscow metochion of [[St. Panteleimon's Monastery (Athos)|St. Panteleimon monastery]]. In Moscow, he became known for his gifts of healing and prophecy.

==Life==
Elder Aristoklis was born in Orenburg in a pious peasant family. In early childhood, Alexei lost his father.

At the age of ten, after a serious illness, the boy's legs were paralyzed. Alexei's mother Matrona tearfully begged the St. [[Nicholas of Myra|Nicholas]] for healing his son, vowing to dedicate her son to God and herself to go to the monastery.

On the day of St. Nicholas, December 6, Alexei was miraculously healed. When her son was seventeen years old, Matrona entered a monastery.

In 1876, immediately after the death of his wife, Alexei went to Mount Athos and entered the Russian St. Panteleimon Monastery. On March 11, 1880 he was tonsured in schema with the name Aristoklis in honor of the Holy Cyprian Martyr Aristoklis of Salamina.

On December 2, 1884 Aristoklis was ordained a deacon, and on December 12 of the same year - into the priesthood. On February 12, 1886 he was tonsured in great schema without changing the name.

From 1891 to 1894 Aristoklis was the rector of the Moscow metochion of St. Panteleimon Monastery of Mount Athos. For several years Aristoklis was the rector of the Chapel of the Holy Great Martyr and Healer Panteleimon. The elder had the gift of healing and prophecy and accepted every day hundreds of people in the need of assistance. The elder handed out numerous donations of the faithful to those who suffer, he paid for the education of children from poor families.

In 1894, after a false denunciation, the elder had to leave Moscow and return to Athos. In 1909, the council of St. Panteleimon Monastery again appointed elder Aristoklis the rector of Moscow metochion.

Despite serious illness (most of his life father Aristoklis suffered from dropsy and disease of the feet), he spiritually nourished a lot of people, sometimes accepting more than a thousand people per day.  St. [[Tikhon of Moscow]] and Bishop [[w:Trifon (Turkestanov)|Trifon (Turkestanov)]] especially revered the elder. Father Aristoklis was known for gifts of prophecy (predicted the October Revolution of 1917 and the Great Patriotic War of 1941), healing, casting out demons. In the hard revolutionary times, through the prayers of the elder people were saved from starvation, released from prison, escaped execution; unbelievers turned to God.

==Repose==
On [[August 24]] / September 6, 1918 the elder reposed in the Lord.

The uncovering of relics happened in the summer of 2004 at the Danilov cemetery. On September 6, 2004, elder Aristoklis was glorified as a local saint of the Moscow diocese. On November 13, 2004, the relics were translated to the metochion of St. Panteleimon monastery, the church of St. Nicetas. Universal glorification took place at the Bishop Council (February 2-3, 2016, Moscow).

==Source==
*{{Ru icon}}[http://www.patriarchia.ru/db/text/139378.html Saint elder Aristoklis, elder of Athos and Moscow miracleworker.]
*{{Ru icon}}[http://www.pravenc.ru/text/75994.html Aristokilis of Athos, Orthodox Encyclopedia.]

[[Category:Athonite Fathers]]
[[Category:Elders]]
[[Category:Monastics]]