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[[ImageFile:sophrony8Saint Sophrony of Essex.jpg|right|framethumb|Archimandrite Saint Sophronyof Essex ]]==Timeline==[[ArchimandriteSaint]] Sophrony (Sakharov), also '''Elder Sophrony''', was best known as the disciple and biographer of St [[Silouan the Athonite]] and compiler of St Silouan's works, and as classic book [https://essexmonastery.com/bookshop/saint-silouan-the-athonite Saint Silouan the Athonite]. He is also the founder of the [[Patriarchal Stavropegic Monastery of St. John the Baptist (Maldon, Essex)|Patriarchal Stavropegic Monastery of St. John the Baptist]] in Tolleshunt Knights, Maldon, Essex, England.
===Early Life===
On [[September 23]], 1896, Sergei Symeonovich Sakharov was born to Orthodox parents in Russia. As a child, Sergei would pray daily, later recalling that he would pray for 45 minutes without stress. Even as a child, Sergei experienced the Uncreated Light. He read widely, including such Russian greats as Gogol, Turgenev, Tolstoy, [[Fyodor Dostoevsky|Dostoyevsky]] and Pushkin.
In 1924, Sergei came to the realization that [[Christ]]'s precept to love God with all of one's being was not merely a psychological thing, but ontological; that this total love was the only way to relate to God; and that love had to be a personal thing by definitional necessity. On [[Holy Saturday|Holy and Great Saturday]] of that year, he returned to Christianity. He experienced the [[Uncreated Light]] in a strength unmatched to the end of his life and, as a result, distanced himself from his artwork.
Sergei then became among the first students of the [[St. Sergius Orthodox Theological Institute (Paris, France)|St. Sergius Orthodox Theological Institute]] in Paris. He was lectured by Fr [[Sergei Sergius Bulgakov]] and [[Nikolai Berdyaev|Nicholas Berdyaev]], but while both influenced Sergei, problems with each (Bulgakov's [[sophiology]] and Berdyaev's anti-[[asceticism]]) limited the influence they had on the future Elder.
In 1925, finding formal theological study to be inherently unfulfilling, Sergei left the Institute and Paris to become a monk on [[Mount Athos]].
Sergei arrived at Mt Athos in 1926, where he entered the [[St. Panteleimon's Monastery (Athos)|Russian Orthodox Monastery of St. Panteleimon]] with the intent of learning how to pray and to have the right attitude towards God. He was [[tonsure]]d with the name of Sophrony. In 1930, Fr Sophrony was [[ordination|ordained]] to the [[diaconate]] by St [[Nikolai Velimirovic|Nicolai (Velimirovic) of Zicha]], and he became a disciple of St [[Silouan the Athonite]], who would prove to be Fr Sophrony's greatest and life-long influence. St Silouan had no formal system of theology, being largely uneducated, but his life exuded theology. This is what taught Fr Sophrony, and what Fr Sophrony would later systematize.
Between 1932 and 1946, Fr Sophrony exchanged letters with Fr David Balfour, a British spy and a [[Roman Catholic|Catholic]] who converted to Orthodoxy. These letters revealed Fr Sophrony's knowledge of many [[Holy Fathers|Fathers of the Church]], and they forced Fr Sophrony to articulate his theological thought and to demonstrate the differences between Western and Eastern thought. Many of Fr Sophrony's later thoughts would arise out of the same topics addressed in this correspondence.
===Paris revisited===
===Essex, England===
By 1958, Elder Sophrony had a number of people living near him, seeking the monastic life. A property at Tolleshunt Knights, Maldon, Essex, England was inspected, and the next year the Community of St John the Baptist was formed at this site, under the [[omophorion]] of Metropolitan [[Anthony (Bloom) of Sourozh]]. The monastery had both monks and nuns, something that has continued to the present, and originally had six members. In 1965, the monastery would move under the omophorion of the [[Church of Constantinople|Ecumenical Patriarchate]], adding the title 'Patriarchal' to its name. Later, the Ecumenical Patriarchate elevated the monastery to '[[Stavropegic]]'.
[[Image:sophrony8.jpg|right|frame|Archimandrite Sophrony]]In 1973, a more complete translation of the life of St Silouan, under the title ''Monk of Mt Athos'', was published, followed by the publication of ''Wisdom of Mt Athos'', the . The writings of St Silouanwere published later in full in the book [https://essexmonastery.com/bookshop/saint-silouan-the-athonite Saint Silouan the Athonite]. Elder Sophrony seemed to move to his own works after this, publishing ''His Life is Mine'' in 1977 and ''[https://essexmonastery.com/bookshop/we-shall-see-him-as-he-is "We Shall see See Him As as He Is'' "] in 1985. This last book, a very frank, open spiritual autobiography, was published to mixed reviews: where the West generally enjoyed the book, the Russians generally criticized it. Some of the criticism was so stinging that it, along with increasing illness, discouraged Elder Sophrony from writing again.
In 1987, the Ecumenical Patriarchate glorified St [[Silouan the Athonite]], no doubt assisted by his fame from Elder Sophrony's works.
===Events of and after his repose===
The monastery had been informed that the only way that it could bury people on its property was to build an underground crypt, which it proceeded . Proceeding then to buildit, and to which Elder Sophrony , now of advanced years, said that he would not repose until the crypt was ready. ThenLater, on having been told of received news that the expected completion date of was [[July 12]], 1993, Elder Sophrony stated that he "would be ready". On the 11th, Elder Sophrony reposed; on July 11th. His funeral and burial took place on the 14th was his funeral and burial, attended by monastics from around the world. At the time of Fr Sophrony's repose, there are were 25 monastics in the monastery, a number that has remained steady since then.[[Image:Reposed_Elder_Sophrony.jpg|thumb|Repose of Elser Elder Sophrony - 11th July 1993]]
Mother Elizabeth, the eldest nun, reposed soon after, on the July 24th. This was in accordance with Elder Sophrony's words that he would repose first, and she would repose soon after.
==Books==
*[https://essexmonastery.com/bookshop/we-shall-see-him-as-he-is/ ''The Undistorted ImageWe Shall See Him As He Is''], 1985. Essex, England: Staretz SilouanStravropegic Monastery of St. John the Baptist, 18661988 (ISBN 0-9512786-4-19389)*''[https://essexmonastery.com/bookshop/saint-silouan-the-athonite/ Saint Silouan, 1948the Athonite]'', 1952Stavropegic Monastery of St. Faith PressJohn the Baptist; 1st edition, 1958 1996 (ISBN B0007IXVB0978-0-951-27868-0).*''The Monk [https://essexmonastery.com/bookshop/on-prayer/ On Prayer]'', Stavropegic Monastery of Mount AthosSt. John the Baptist, 1998 (ISBN 1-874679-14-2).*[https: Staretz Silouan 1866//essexmonastery.com/bookshop/striving-for-knowledge-of-1938god/ ''Striving for Knowledge of God:'' ''Correspondence with David Balfour''], MowbrayStavropegic Monastery of St. John the Baptist, 1st edition, 1973 2016 (ISBN 0264646185978-1-909649-06-4). *''[https://essexmonastery.com/bookshop/truth-and-life/ Truth and Life],'' Stavropegic Monastery of St. VladimirJohn the Baptist, 1st edition, 2014 (ISBN 978-1-874679-96-7).*''[https://essexmonastery.com/bookshop/letters-to-his-family/ Letters to His Family],''s Seminary PressStavropegic Monastery of St. John the Baptist, 2nd edition, 1997 2023 (ISBN 091383615X978-1-909649-01-9).*''Wisdom from Mount Athos[https: The Writings //essexmonastery.com/bookshop/words-of-life/ Words of Life],'' Stavropegic Monastery of Staretz Siloan 1866St. John the Baptist, 2nd edition, 2015 (ISBN 1-874679-16-19389).*''[https://essexmonastery.com/bookshop/hearken-my-beloved-brethren/ Hearken, my Beloved Brethren],'' Stavropegic Monastery of St. Vladimir's Seminary PressJohn the Baptist, 2nd edition, 1975 2021(ISBN 0913836176978-1-909649-57-6).*''His [https://essexmonastery.com/bookshop/the-mystery-of-christian-life/ The Mystery of Christian Life is Mine],'', Stavropegic Monastery of St. Vladimir's Seminary PressJohn the Baptist, 1st edition, 1977 2022 (ISBN B000B9E2WW978-1-909649-90-3). *''The Cross of Loneliness: The Correspondence of Saint Sophrony and Archpriest Georges Florovsky'' St. VladimirTikhon's Seminary Monastery Press, 1997 2021 (ISBN 0913836338978-1-7361723-1-5).*''We Shall See Him As He IsThe Undistorted Image: Staretz Silouan, 1866–1938'', 19851948, 1952. EssexFaith Press, England1958.*''The Monk of Mount Athos: Stravropegic Monastery of Staretz Silouan 1866–1938'', Mowbray, 1973 ({{ISBN|0-264-64618-5}}). St. John the BaptistVladimir's Seminary Press, 19881997 (ISBN 0-913836-15-X).*''Saint Silouan, the AthoniteWisdom from Mount Athos: The Writings of Staretz Siloan 1866–1938'', St. Vladimir's Seminary Press; reprint edition, 1999 1975 (ISBN 08814119570-913836-17-6).*''On PrayerHis Life is Mine'', St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, 1977. St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, 1998 1997 (ISBN 0-88141913836-19433-98).
===Biographical===
*[https://essexmonastery.com/bookshop/christ-our-way-and-our-life/ ''Christ, Our Way and Our Life'' ] by Archimandrite [[Zacharias (Zacharou)|Zacharias]]. "A Presentation of the theology of Archimandrite Sophrony." (ISBN 1-878997-74-2).
*''I Love Therefore I Am'' by [[Nicholas (Sakharov)|Nicholas V. Sakharov]]. St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, 2003 (ISBN 0-88141-236-8).
==Online Sources==
*https://essexmonastery.com/saint-sophrony-the-athonite/
*http://sophrony.narod.ru/indexe.html
*http://sophrony.narod.ru/texts/necrolog1.htm
*[http://www.divineascent.org/DA5/hierotheos5.htm Interview] with Archimandrite [[Hierotheos (Vlachos) of Nafpaktos|Hierotheos]] on Elder Sophrony, excerpt from Divine Ascent.
* Biography & photos of Elder Sophrony Sakharov [http://www.orthodoxphotos.com/Orthodox_Elders/Russian/Fr._Sophrony_Sakharov/]
* Ecumenical Patriarchate canonizes Elder Sophrony [https://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2019/10/ecumenical-patriarch-announces_22.html?fbclid=IwAR3yoz7D4kSkZg8IG6LpX3pW2J__TszjvTBM-CVP_THBz0F5AOwFyk69Acg&m=1]
*Official canonization [https://orthochristian.com/125966.html]
[[Category:Athonite FathersRussian Saints]]
[[Category:Monastics]]
[[Category:Hesychasm]]
[[el:Γέρων Σωφρόνιος Σαχάρωφ]]
[[fr:Sophrony (Sakharov)]]
[[mk:Старец Софрониј]]
[[pt:Sofrônio de Essex]]
[[ro:Sofronie (Saharov)]]
[[ru:Софроний (СахоровСахаров)]]