Venerable
Venerable Dionysius the Rhetor and Metrophanes are Athonite saints commemorated in July. Saint Dionysius, born in the early 16th century and called “the Rhetor” for his learning, was tonsured in the Studion Monastery and later withdrew to Mount Athos. He lived in various sketes and eventually, with his disciple Metrophanes, settled in a cave where today stands the Small Skete of Saint Anna. Dionysius became known for his wisdom, writings, and spiritual guidance.
His disciple Metrophanes also led an ascetic life. With his elder’s blessing, he went to Halkidiki to preach, leaving a written account of a Christian’s vision of eternal life. Today a church in his honor stands in the village of Stratoniki.
Saints Dionysius and Metrophanes are revered as the first dwellers and founders of the Small Skete of Saint Anna, their spiritual legacy honored both on Athos and beyond.
