Today, Sunday 29 July 2012, the oldest living monk on Mount Athos reposed
in the Lord. Fr. John of Hilandari was 105 years old. He lived at the
Serbian Monastery of Hilandari.

Fr. John was born on 10 May 1907 in Serbia. Following World War 2 he
emigrated to England where he stayed until the early 80's. It was during
this time that his wife died and he decided to become a monk at Hilandari
Monastery. Since then he never stepped foot off of the Holy Mountain.

Though he was a patriot of Serbia, he never once visited since World War 2,
because, he says, "it is not the place I knew. It would not remind me of my
childhood years and this would sadden me."

He lived a life of prayer and obedience. His service work all these years
was as a gardener. Many remember him as the monk with bags on his knees
crawling throughout the garden.

He loved Serbian poetry, and himself wrote many books of Serbian poems
which he titled "Foreigners".

In 2009 he finally abandoned his typewriter and began using a laptop which
was given to him by his brothers at the monastery.

go to
http://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2012/07/the-oldest-athonite-monk-has-...
--

for the story with excellent pictures and a video (in Serbian, I believe)

We will add Fr John to our dyptichs for his forty days. Memory eternal!

Priest Seraphim Holland
serap...@orthodox.net  Cell:972 658-5433 Home:972 529-2754
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