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[[File:Saint Sophrony of Essex.jpg|thumb|Saint Sophrony of Essex ]]
==Timeline==[[Saint]] 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.
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.
Mother Elizabeth, the eldest nun, reposed soon after, on July 24th. This was in accordance with Elder Sophrony's words that he would repose first, and she would repose soon after.
On November 27, 2019, the Ecumenical Patriarchate proclaimed the glorification of Elder Sophrony as a saint of the Orthodox Church.
==Online Sources==
*https://essexmonastery.com/saint-sophrony-the-athonite/
*http://sophrony.narod.ru/indexe.html
*http://sophrony.narod.ru/texts/necrolog1.htm