Venerable (Monastic)15th century

Venerable Dionysius the Recluse of the Kiev Caves

15th century (died after 1463)

Also known as Dionysius Schepa

A recluse of the Kiev Far Caves remembered in the Kiev Caves Paterikon, with a Paschal miracle associated with his censing of the relics of the saints.

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Commemorated as

Our Venerable Father Dionysius the Recluse of the Kiev Caves

Life

Dionysius of the Kiev Caves, nicknamed "Schepa," was a monk and hieromonk of the Kiev-Pechersk Monastery who lived in the fifteenth century and died after 1463. He is venerated in the Russian Orthodox Church among the venerable ascetics, and his relics rest in the Far Caves of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra.

His historical memory is largely bound to a single episode recorded in the Kiev Caves Paterikon: during the Paschal celebration of 1463, while censing the bodies of the departed monks buried in the caves, he greeted them with the Easter proclamation and, by tradition, received a thunderous reply. After this event he withdrew as a recluse, spending his remaining years in the caves.

Troparion1 hymnReadHide

TroparionTone 4

You offered the Bloodless Sacrifice to the Lord blamelessly,
and served Him diligently according to your calling.
O Saint Dionysios, pray for us who revere you with love.

Text used with permission of the Orthodox Church in America (oca.org).

Timeline4 momentsReadHide

1463The Paschal miracle in the cavesDuring Easter, while censing the bodies of the departed monks as caretaker under Archimandrite Nicholas, Dionysius proclaimed the Resurrection at the place called "Obshchina" and, by tradition, received a thunderous reply from the relics of the saints.
After 1463Life as a recluse and reposeFollowing the Paschal episode, Dionysius spent his remaining years as a recluse in the caves and reposed sometime thereafter; his relics were laid in the Far Caves.
1643Named in the Canon of the Caves FathersHis name was included in the Canon of the Venerable Fathers of the Caves, composed by Meletius Sirigu.
Late 18th centurySynodal recognitionThe Holy Synod authorized the inclusion of various Kiev saints, among them Dionysius, in the church calendars.

Contributions & Legacy

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Life and Vocation

Dionysius served as a monk and hieromonk of the Kiev-Pechersk Monastery, where he bore the nickname "Schepa." At the time of the events for which he is remembered, he acted as caretaker of the caves under Archimandrite Nicholas, a duty that included censing the relics and bodies of the departed fathers interred there.

Following the Paschal episode of 1463, Dionysius adopted the life of a recluse, passing his remaining years in seclusion within the caves. The surviving record of his life is limited chiefly to this one account, making him a genuinely obscure local saint of the Lavra.

The Paschal Miracle of 1463

The Kiev Caves Paterikon records that during Easter of 1463 — in the time of Prince Simeon Alexandrovich and his brother Prince Michael — Dionysius entered the caves to cense the bodies of the deceased monks. On reaching a place called "Obshchina" (the Community), he proclaimed: "Fathers and brothers, Christ is risen! Today is the Great Day."

By the tradition preserved in the Paterikon, a thunderous voice answered from the relics of the saints: "Truly Christ is risen." The account is remembered as one of the most striking episodes in the monastery's history, and it was after this event that Dionysius took up the reclusive life.

Veneration and Recognition

Local veneration of Dionysius began at an unknown date. His name was included in the Canon of the Venerable Fathers of the Caves, composed in 1643 by Meletius Sirigu (Sirigos). Wider recognition followed when the Holy Synod, in the late eighteenth century, authorized the inclusion of various Kiev saints in the church calendars.

He is commemorated on October 3, together with the Hieromartyr Dionysius the Areopagite, and also on August 28 by the Julian calendar.

Relics & Shrines

The relics of Dionysius are located in the Far Caves of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra.

Depiction in Iconography

The earliest known depiction of Dionysius appears in a 1661 engraving from "Paterikon, or the Pechersk Fatherland," printed in Kiev. The illustration shows him in monastic vestments with an epitrachelion, bare-headed, offering the Easter greeting to the departed monks in the cave, with two monks holding torches beside him.

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Sources: OCA Synaxarion (oca.org), Lives of the Saints