Gabriel of Dionysiou
{{Short description|Greek Orthodox Christian monk}}
{{Infobox Christian leader
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| honorific_prefix = Archimandrite
| name = Gabriel of Dionysiou
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| native_name = Γαβριήλ Διονυσιάτης
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| church = Greek Orthodox Church
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| birth_name = Georgios Kazazis (Γεώργιος Καζάζης)
| birth_date = 1886
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| birth_place = Mesenikolas, Karditsa, Greece
| death_date = 6 November 1983
| death_place = Dionysiou Monastery, Mount Athos
| buried = Dionysiou Monastery, Mount Athos
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| nationality = Greek
| religion = Eastern Orthodox Christianity
| residence = Dionysiou Monastery, Mount Athos
| parents = Theodosius and Constantina Kazazis
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| occupation = Abbot and monk
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Archimandrite Gabriel of Dionysiou (or Gabriel Dionysiatis, {{langx|el|Γαβριήλ Διονυσιάτης|translit=Gavriil Dionysiatis}}; Mesenikolas, Karditsa, Greece, 1886 – Dionysiou Monastery, Mount Athos, 6 November 1983{{cite book | last=Cavarnos | first=Constantine | title=Blessed elder Gabriel Dionysiatis (1886-1983): remarkable confessor and spiritual guide, profound analyst of twentieth century society, inspiring writer on many vital topics, and for forty years Abbot of the Monastery of Dionysiou at the Holy Mountain of Athos | publisher=Institute for Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies | publication-place=Belmont, MA, U.S.A. | date=1999 | isbn=1-884729-47-9 | oclc=42924301}}{{cite web | last=Cavarnos | first=Constantine | title=Modern Orthodox Saints (1886-1993) | website=Goodreads | date=1999-09-01 | url=https://www.goodreads.com/work/best_book/14857385-modern-orthodox-saints-blessed-elder-gabriel-dionysiatis-1886-1993 | access-date=2022-08-26}}) was a Greek Orthodox Christian monk who served as the abbot of Dionysiou Monastery from 1936 to the 1970s.{{cite web | last=Sanidopoulos | first=John | title="Spiritual Invocation" by Elder Gabriel Dionysiatis | website=www.johnsanidopoulos.com | date=2004-02-27 | url=https://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2009/11/spiritual-invocation-by-elder-gabriel.html | access-date=2022-08-26}}
Early life
In 1886, he was born Georgios Kazazis (Γεώργιος Καζάζης) in the village of Mesenikolas in Karditsa, western Thessaly, Greece to Theodosios and Konstantina Kazazis. At the age of 17, he volunteered in the guerrilla army of Pavlos Melas during the Macedonian Struggle. In 1910, he moved to Mount Athos and settled at Dionysiou Monastery. At Mount Athos, he took on the monastic name of Gabriel.{{cite web | title=Αρχιμανδρίτης Γαβριήλ Διονυσιάτης (1886-1983) | website=Διακόνημα | date=2021-10-24 | url=http://www.diakonima.gr/2021/10/24/archimandritis-gavriil-dionisiatis-1886-1983/ | language=el | access-date=2022-08-27 | archive-date=2022-08-28 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220828031654/http://www.diakonima.gr/2021/10/24/archimandritis-gavriil-dionisiatis-1886-1983/ | url-status=dead }}
During World War I, he became a prisoner of war and was taken to Bulgaria. After his release, he returned to a monastic life.{{cite web | title=Ιερομόναχος Γαβριήλ Διονυσιάτης (1886 – 24 Οκτωβρίου 1983) | website=Πεμπτουσία | date=2015-10-25 | url=https://www.pemptousia.gr/2015/10/ieromonachos-gavriil-dionisiatis-1886-24-oktovriou-1983/ | language=el | access-date=2022-08-27}}
In July 1936, he was ordained Abbot of Dionysiou Monastery, succeeding Abbot Dositheos.
During World War II, he played an instrumental role in negotiating with the German occupying forces during the German invasion of Greece and Axis occupation of Greece. As a result, Mount Athos was spared from bloodshed and military conflicts.Χαλκιαδάκης, Εμμανουήλ Γ. "[https://www.academia.edu/45439643/_%CE%9F_%CE%93%CE%AD%CF%81%CF%89%CE%BD_%CE%93%CE%B1%CE%B2%CF%81%CE%B9%CE%AE%CE%BB_%CE%94%CE%B9%CE%BF%CE%BD%CF%85%CF%83%CE%B9%CE%AC%CF%84%CE%B7%CF%82_%CE%BA%CE%B1%CE%B9_%CE%BF_%CF%81%CF%8C%CE%BB%CE%BF%CF%82_%CF%84%CE%BF%CF%85_%CF%83%CF%84%CE%B7%CE%BD_%CF%80%CF%81%CE%BF%CF%83%CF%84%CE%B1%CF%83%CE%AF%CE%B1_%CF%84%CE%BF%CF%85_%CE%91%CE%B3%CE%AF%CE%BF%CF%85_%CE%8C%CF%81%CE%BF%CF%85%CF%82_%CE%BA%CE%B1%CF%84%CE%AC_%CF%84%CE%B7_%CE%B4%CE%B9%CE%AC%CF%81%CE%BA%CE%B5%CE%B9%CE%B1_%CF%84%CE%BF%CF%85_%CE%92_%CE%A0%CE%B1%CE%B3%CE%BA%CE%BF%CF%83%CE%BC%CE%AF%CE%BF%CF%85_%CE%A0%CE%BF%CE%BB%CE%AD%CE%BC%CE%BF%CF%85_%CE%95%CF%80%CE%B9%CF%83%CF%84%CE%B7%CE%BC%CE%BF%CE%BD%CE%B9%CE%BA%CE%AE_%CE%95%CF%80%CE%B5%CF%84%CE%B7%CF%81%CE%AF%CE%B4%CE%B1_%CE%A0%CE%B1%CF%84%CF%81%CE%B9%CE%B1%CF%81%CF%87%CE%B9%CE%BA%CE%AE%CF%82_%CE%91%CE%BD%CF%8E%CF%84%CE%B1%CF%84%CE%B7%CF%82_%CE%95%CE%BA%CE%BA%CE%BB%CE%B7%CF%83%CE%B9%CE%B1%CF%83%CF%84%CE%B9%CE%BA%CE%AE%CF%82_%CE%91%CE%BA%CE%B1%CE%B4%CE%B7%CE%BC%CE%AF%CE%B1%CF%82_%CE%9A%CF%81%CE%AE%CF%84%CE%B7%CF%82_4_2020_%CF%83_197_211 Ο Γέρων Γαβριήλ Διονυσιάτης και ο ρόλος του στην προστασία του Αγίου Όρους κατά τη διάρκεια του Β΄ Παγκοσμίου Πολέμου]", Επιστημονική Επετηρίδα Πατριαρχικής Ανώτατης Εκκλησιαστικής Ακαδημίας Κρήτης 4 (2020), σ. 197-211. {{in lang|el}} After World War II, he continued to serve as the abbot of Dionysiou Monastery for three full decades.
In 1979, Charalambos of Dionysiou succeeded Archimandrite Gabriel as Abbot of Dionysiou Monastery.{{cite thesis | last=Dorobantu | first=Marius | title=Hesychasm, the Jesus Prayer and the contemporary spiritual revival of Mount Athos | publisher=Radboud University | location=Nijmegen | type=Master's thesis | date=2017-08-28 | url=https://theses.ubn.ru.nl/handle/123456789/4780 | access-date=2022-08-28}}
He died on 6 November 1983 (Old Style date: 25 October 1983).{{cite web | title=Αρχιμ. Γεώργιος: Ο Γέροντας Γαβριήλ Διονυσιάτης ήταν η φωνή των αιώνων, του Αγ. Όρους! | website=Πεμπτουσία | date=2021-10-24 | url=https://www.pemptousia.gr/2021/10/archim-georgios-o-gerontas-gavriil-dionisiatis-itan-i-foni-ton-eonon-tou-ag-orous/ | language=el | access-date=2022-08-27}}
After his death, several biographies have been written about him, including one in English by Constantine Cavarnos (1999).
See also
References
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Category:Eastern Orthodox monks
Category:People from Karditsa (regional unit)
Category:People associated with Dionysiou Monastery