With the blessing of the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, the God-bearing elder Blessed Paisius Velichkovsky was solemnly canonized on the feast of St. Elias the Prophet, July 20/ August 2, in the skete dedicated to St. Elias on Mt. Athos. St. Paisius hadlived and labored in this skate for many years. Under his guidance the skete blossomed to such an extent that he is considered to be its founder. Archbishop Laurus of l{oly Trinity Monastery and Bishop Marker Germany took part in the triumphant celebration.

    No less jubilant were the hearts of the brethren at the St. Herman of Alaska Monastery, where they have labored so hard to make known the teachings of this holy elder and his significance for our time s. It is largely through their efforts that interest was raised in canonizing Blessed Paisius.

    In his Introduction to the book, I, Fr. Seraphim wrote that “for Orthodox Christians of the 20th century there is no more important Holy Father of recent times than Blessed Paisius Velichkovsky.., because he redirected the attention of Orthodox Christians to the sources of Holy Orthodoxy, which are the only foundation of true Orthodox life and thought whether of the past or of the present, whether of monks or of laymen.

    “The followers of unenlightened custom are themselves innocent; they merely accept what has been “handed down” to them ….

Under strict yet prudent pastors, such people can be guided in the true path of Orthodoxy; but in our own time of such widespread irresponsible Church leadership, these people are more often guided gradually into a path of ever greater and more senseless innovation and reform ….

    “Far worse, however, is the state of those who, being ungroomed in the true sources of Holy Orthodoxy, occupy the positions of pastors and theologians and in their “learned ignorance” seek to guide their flocks according to some f a s bio n a hl e intellectual current of the day. Such are the leaders of the “charismatic movement,” swept off their feet by an experience which, while compatible with Protestantism and Papism, is easily discerned as a satanic deception by those who are rooted in and live in the Holy Fathers.

     “Both of these types of ‘Orthodox’ people are precisely those who are cut off from the sources of Orthodoxy, and who in turn help to cut others off from these sources. The movement of true Orthodoxy in our own times has seen with increasing clarity the need to separate itself from this pseudo- or semi-Orthodoxy and re-find its roots in the true and unadulterated sources of Orthodoxy, the Holy Fathers. And this is precisely what the Blessed Paisius saw and did, making him a key figure for us today …. “

 Indeed, he is worthy to be glorified!