The Docheiariou monastery () is an

Eastern Orthodox Eastern Orthodoxy, otherwise known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity or Byzantine Christianity, is one of the three main Branches of Christianity, branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholic Church, Catholicism and Protestantism ...

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of Monasticism, monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in Cenobitic monasticism, communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a ...

at the monastic state of

Mount Athos Mount Athos (; ) is a mountain on the Athos peninsula in northeastern Greece directly on the Aegean Sea. It is an important center of Eastern Orthodoxy, Eastern Orthodox monasticism. The mountain and most of the Athos peninsula are governed ...

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

. The is located in the monastery complex.

History

It was founded during the late 10th or early 11th century, and is dedicated to the memory of the

Archangel Archangels () are the second lowest rank of angel in the Catholic hierarchy of angels, based on and put forward by Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite in the 5th or 6th century in his book ''De Coelesti Hierarchia'' (''On the Celestial Hierarchy'') ...

s Michael and Gabriel. It celebrates its patronal feastday on November 8 (21, Gregorian style). By the end of the 15th century according to the Russian pilgrim Isaiah, the monastery was Serb. In 1979, Docheiariou became a

cenobitic Cenobitic (or coenobitic) monasticism is a monastery, monastic tradition that stresses community life. Often in the West the community belongs to a religious order, and the life of the cenobitic monk is regulated by a Monastic rule, religious ru ...

monastery when Elder Gregorios (d. 22 October 2018) arrived at Docheiariou from

Missolonghi Missolonghi or Mesolongi (, ) is a municipality of 32,048 people (according to the 2021 census) in western Greece. The town is the capital of Aetolia-Acarnania regional unit, and the seat of the municipality of Iera Polis Mesolongiou (). Missolon ...

with a group of ten monks. The monastery also houses the icon of the Virgin "Gorgoepikoos" or "She who is Quick to Hear rayers. The monastery ranks tenth in the hierarchy of the Athonite monasteries. The library holds 545 manuscripts, 62 of which are on

parchment Parchment is a writing material made from specially prepared Tanning (leather), untanned skins of animals—primarily sheep, calves and goats. It has been used as a writing medium in West Asia and Europe for more than two millennia. By AD 400 ...

, and more than 5,000 printed books. In 2011 Docheiariou had 53 monks.

References

External links

Dochiariou monastery at the Mount Athos website

{{Authority control Christian monasteries established in the 10th century Monasteries on Mount Athos Greek Orthodox monasteries Byzantine monasteries in Greece