St. Dionysios of Colciu + Commemorated on May 11
Venerable Dionysius the Athonite of Colciu (1909–2004) was the abbot of the Cell of St. George at Colciu, belonging to Vatopedi Monastery on the Holy Mountain of Athos.
He was a disciple of Venerable Antipa Dinescu, a strict ascetic and former abbot of Prodromou Skete, who in the latter part of his life lived in ascetic struggle in a hermit’s cell not far from Stavronikita Monastery. Venerable Dionysius was also a gifted chanter, having learned Byzantine chant from the monk Iacov Deciu, a disciple of St. Venerable Nectarius the Protopsaltis.
Elder Dionysius was a perfected struggler in the spiritual life. He placed great emphasis on participation in the divine services. He possessed much zeal and patience. He stood in the choir stall and courageously endured the infirmities of old age. At times he groaned because of the severe pains afflicting his body. His entire body suffered intensely, yet he could not live without the church services and the prayer rule performed in his cell.
His Eminence Metropolitan Nicholas of Mesogaia and Lavreotiki testified concerning the elder’s strict ascetic life:
“On one of the days during my stay there, Fr Dionysius had a fever. Yet he celebrated all the services of the day at their appointed times. His suffering and the difficulty he endured were evident and could easily be understood, but he made no compromise whatsoever.”
He was never indulgent toward himself. Hieroschemamonk Dionysius, the present abbot of the Cell of St George at Colciu, recalled:
“In church, the elder was never absent from the choir stall, even when the burden of age and illness had become very heavy. He followed the services attentively, knowing them by heart, and corrected the disciples whenever they made mistakes. He was an excellent chanter, a complete master of the Typikon, a monk who was nourished, in essence, by the divine services. Many times he would arrive at church utterly exhausted, not knowing whether he would even manage to stand through the opening prayers. Yet as the service progressed, the elder would revive, become filled with strength, and finish the vigil refreshed and vigorous, while we, his disciples, were worn out from fatigue.”
St. Venerable Dionysius of Colciu was a monk who deeply loved prayer. He slept only two or three hours each night, rising to fulfil his prayer rule. After his meal, he would rest another hour or two at midday. He was so strict with himself that he often awoke earlier than necessary out of fear that he might oversleep and lose time for prayer.
He always performed his prayer rule behind the door of his cell. Whenever his disciples entered to see whether he needed anything, the saint would immediately hide himself and sit upon the bed as though resting. He wished his ascetic labour to be known only to God. Archimandrite Ephraim, abbot of Vatopedi Monastery, speaking about the gift of prayer which St. Venerable Dionysius acquired from God through humility, recounted visiting him in his cell:
“Up there where he lived, his cell spread forth a spiritual fragrance. He was truly a man who transformed his cell into Mount Tabor. He was among those who loved prayer and never ceased praying unceasingly. […] Almost always he spoke about humility — this was what he spoke of most often, humility and obedience. These were the virtues he taught, practised, and handed down to us and to his disciples… He possessed great piety…”
The holy life and spiritual struggles of Venerable Dionysius caused the powers of darkness to wage war against him many times, unable to endure his God-pleasing deeds and harsh asceticism.
He received from God the gifts of discernment, foresight, and wonderworking, proving to be a wise guide of souls on the path of salvation. Shining in virtue and piety, he departed this earthly life on May 11, 2004, surrounded by his disciples. After his repose, his body emitted a sweet spiritual fragrance, as had often occurred during his lifetime as well.
