St Gregory Palamas

According to the tradition, the Holy Monastery of Vatopaidi was founded in the fourth century by the emperor Theodosius the Great and, after its destruction and abandonment, it was reconstructed in the tenth century by three young aristocrats from Adrianople, Nicholas, Athanasius and Anthony. Over the course of its extensive history, it emerged as one of the great centers of Orthodoxy, living out the hesychastic tradition and bringing forth a host of saints while, at the same time, carrying out a prolific mission of outreach both within and beyond the Greek lands. Because of the great drop in the number of monks that marked the Holy Mountain after the 1950’s, the Monastery entered a period of great decline, both materially and spiritually.

In 1990, by a decision of the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Holy Community of Mount Athos, the Monastery returned from the idiorrhythmic (individualistic) way of life to the cenobitic.

The brotherhood of our Elder Joseph from Nea Skiti settle here with 18 fathers. While the new brotherhood placed the spiritual restoration of the Monastery as its primary objective, it likewise gave a priority to the renovations, to the restoration and preservation of the unique imperial treasures and other heirlooms, and to the return of the Monastery to its historic position.

Pictures from  St Gregorios Palamas