Tychon the Athonite

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Elder Tychon was an elder who lived on Mt Athos.

Biographical timeline

  • 1884 - Timothy was born to Paul and Helen in Novaya Mikhalovka, a God-fearing couple. Timothy wanted to devote himself to God from his childhood.
  • 1901 - Timothy asked for a blessing to enter a monastery; his parents did not give him one, because he was young and lively. However, Paul and Helen gave their blessing for Timothy to visit monasteries for three years.
Timothy passed through two hundred monasteries in this time, all of them on foot.
In one of the provinces, the people ate rye bread, which Timothy could not stomach because he was used to white bread. Having asked at bakeries, he finally asked the Mother of God for intercessions, and she appeared to him and gave him a loaf of bread. Uncomprehending, and thinking that must have been the baker's daughter, he went back to a bakery and was told that the baker didn't have a wife or daughter. Later, when a monk showed Timothy a book of Russian wonder-working icons, he recognised the one who gave him the bread.
  • ~1904 - Having been through Russian monasteries, he then went to Mt Sinai as an ascetic for two months. He found no rest from secularization there, and went to Mt Athos. He went first to Bourazeri.
  • 1909 - Fr Tychon found no peace at Bourazeri because of many Russian pilgrims. He went to Karoulia. He lived there as an ascetic for fifteen years.
  • 1924 - Fr Tychon moved to Kapsala, which is at the southernmost tip of Mt. Athos (above Kaliagra), to a cell belonging to Stavronikita Monastery to look after an ailing elder. When the elder died, Fr Tychon stayed there alone.
Many people flocked to Fr Tychon because of his holiness. Some asked him to be ordained, so that he could be a confessor. Fr Tychon submitted to their need, and was ordained.
There was no chapel connected to his cell. Fr Tychon did not have money, but trusted in God. He prayed, then went to Karyes. The administrator of a Russian skete by the name of Prophet Elijah Skete saw Fr Tychon and told him that a Christian in America had donated money for someone to build a chapel, and the administrator gave this to Fr Tychon.
Two monks who were builders built the chapel, which Elder Tychon dedicated to the Precious Cross. This was done both because the elder held the Cross in great veneration, and because the day would be a fasting day.
  • 1968 - Elder Tychon reposed in the presence of Elder Paisios

Source