Dochariou Monastery, one of the 20 ruling monasteries on the Holy Mount Athos, has elected its new abbot following the repose of the former abbot, Archimandrite Gregory (Zumis) of thrice-blessed memory.
Archimandrite Gregory reposed late in the night on October 22, at the age of 76, having endured the torments of a serious, incurable disease in the last years of his life. He was buried the next day by the brethren of his monastery. His 40th day was just commemorated on December 1.
As His Eminence Archbishop Jonah of Obukhov, the abbot of the Holy Trinity Monastery of St. Jonas in Kiev, who was present at Dochariou during the election and announcement of the new abbot, writes in several posts on his Facebook page, Fr. Amphilochios was unanimously chosen following a festive Liturgy in which all the hieromonks of the monastery participated.
The elder brethren of the monastery presented the abbot’s staff to their newly-elected head and led him to the abbot’s throne, there giving him the abbot’s cross and mantia.
Abp. Jonah also writes that Abbot Amphilochios was born in 1961 and was a spiritual child of Archim. Gregory from the age of 13. He became a brother of Dochariou in 1980 at the age of 19.
The monastery then humbly celebrated the name’s day of its new abbot today. “Nothing special,” writes Abp. Jonah, “Normal Liturgy, normal meal, after which the brothers gathered for a conversation and some treats. We talked, we joked, we sang many years, and then we went to work…”
Fr. Amphilochios’ humility can be sensed in his first words as abbot to the brethren:
