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[[el:Άγιος Παΐσιος Βελιτσκόφσκυ]]
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[[Image:Paisius.jpg|thumb|18th-century portrait of St . Paisius of Neamt.]]Our venerable father '''Paisius Velichkovsky''' , also '''Paisius of Neamt''', led the renaissance in Orthodox [[monasticism]] in the late eighteenth century, helping the Church recover from the decline in monastic life and spirituality caused by the troubles and conflicts of the previous centuries. His effort was centered on the spirituality of the [[hesychasm|hesychastic]] tradition, which was expressed in the popularity of counseling by [[starets]] (elders) in nineteenth-century Russia. His [[feast]] is celebrated on [[November 15]].
==Life==
Still in a search of [[ascetic]] labor and a life as a [[hermit]], Platon journeyed to the monasteries in Moldovlachia that had been influenced by the spiritual life of the monasteries of [[Mount Athos]]. At the age of twenty-four, Platon traveled to Mount Athos, there to reside in the [[Pantokrator Monastery (Athos)|Pantocrator Monastery]] for the next four years, living in a life of ascetic poverty. In 1750, Platon was tonsured to the mantle with the name of Paisius by his spiritual father, Schema-monk Vasilius, who had come to Mount Athos from Moldavia.
Soon, Vissarion and Cesarius, his first spiritual students, joined Paisius. At the age of thirty-six, Fr. Paisius was [[ordinatiionordination|ordained]] a [[hieromonk]] in 1758. As his community of monks grew, Hiero-schemamonk Paisius asked Pantocrator Monastery to give him the use of the cell of Prophet Elias, which then grew to become the [[Skete of Prophet Elias]]. As his community grew, Elder Paisius became the spiritual father of not only his brotherhood but of many throughout the Holy Mountain. As the community grew beyond fifty members, frictions with others on the mountain as well as over running the capacity of their skete made living conditions difficult. To alleviate the difficulties Elder Paisius, at the recommendation of many of the residents, moved his community to the empty [[Simonopetra Monastery (Athos)|Monastery of Simonopetra]]. But, after three months the community returned to the Skete of [[Elijah|Prophet Elias]], as Simonopetra had been empty, because the earlier community had moved out due to not being able to pay the taxes demanded by the Turkish authorities. The Turks now wanted Elder Paisius and his community to pay these taxes.
After seventeen years on the Holy Mountain, Elder Paisius then decided to move his brethren to Moldovlachia in Moldavia. In 1763, with sixty-four monks, Elder Paisius moved to the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Dragomir, Bukovina. Here, they restored the monastery and established a new life under the monastic rule for services they had used at Mount Athos. The community served in two languages: on the right [[kliros]] they sang in Slavonic, and on the left, in Moldavian.
A war between Russia and Turkey caused the brotherhood to evacuate to Sekul when Dragomir came under the control of Austria. It took some time for life in Sekul to settle down. While they were busy helping refugees, the monks also developed differences amongst themselves that needed settlement. Even with the small and inadequate facilities at Sekul for the community, Elder Paisius began his translations of the [[Holy Fathers|Patristic Fathers]]. To relieve the crowding, Prince Konstantin, with the blessing of Metr. Gabriel, offered the brotherhood the opportunity to move to Niametz[ro:Neamț]. At first hesitant to move again, Elder Paisius agreed to move in 1779.
In making the move, he left some of the monks at Sekul while moving himself and the others to Niametz Monastery. With this move he began the final period of his life, but one that would be his most fruitful. By this time his community of monks had grown to over 700. The spiritual life at Niametz Monastery and that of the Elder Paisius became known throughout the Orthodox East. The monastery facilities expanded with building of a hospital, a house of mercy, and additional cells for the monks. Under the Elder's guidance, transcribing and translating works of the Holy Fathers was undertaken. In this task he was aided by a large number of monastic assistants whom he taught Greek.
Yet the wars among the Turks, Russians, and Austrians continued to interrupt his work. In the late 1780s, the Turks occupied Niametz but soon were driven out by the Austrians. This was followed by the arrival of Russians. It was at this time in 1790 that Abp. Ambrosius of Slovenia and Poltava came to Niametz and at a [[divine liturgyDivine Liturgy]] elevated the Elder to the rank of [[archimandrite]].
With the cessation of the war, life settled down at the monastery. Fr. Paisius and his monks returned to their work. Soon, however, the Elder began to weaken, and eventually he stopped his translation work. On [[November 5]], 1794, he took a turn for the worse and took to his bed. His illness continued, and on [[November 15]], 1794, he died at the age of seventy-two.
*[http://ocafs.oca.org/FeastSaintsViewer.asp?FSID=103311 Venerable Paisius Velichkovsky] ([[OCA]])
[[Category:Athonite Fathers]]
[[Category:Hesychasm]]
[[Category:Monastics]]
[[Category:Saints]]
[[Category:Russian Saints]]
[[Category:Romanian Saints]]
[[Category:MonasticsUkrainian Saints]][[Category:18th-century saints]]
[[el:Άγιος Παΐσιος Βελιτσκόφσκυ]]
[[fr:Païssi Vélitchkovsky]]
[[ro:Paisie de la Neamţ]]
