Venerable
Venerable, Canonarch Gerontius, Canonarch of the Kiev Caves
XIV век
Venerable Gerontius, Canonarch of the Kiev Caves (14th c.) — a monk of the Far Caves who carried out the obedience of canonarch (leader of church chanting); he spent his entire life at the monastery in feats of abstinence, obedience, and prayer; he is buried in a shared tomb with Venerable Sisoy.
Venerable Gerontius labored in the 14th century as a monk of the Kiev Caves Monastery, carrying out the obedience of canonarch — the leader of church chanting during services. Little information about his life has survived: the date and place of his birth are unknown. He spent his entire life at the monastery in feats of abstinence, obedience, and prayer. He was buried in the Far Caves. An old 1638 map of the Far Caves mentions him together with Venerable Sisoy: "Two holy monks, Sisoy and Gerontius"; a 1661 map indicates their shared tomb with the double inscription "Geronitiy and Sisoy" and the letter "K" (an abbreviation for "konarkhistr" — canonarch). His memory is kept on April 1/14, and also on August 28/September 10 within the Synaxis of the Fathers of the Far Caves.