Venerable Shio Mgvime

Venerable Shio of Mgvime was one of the Thirteen Syrian (Assyrian) Fathers who came from Antioch to eastern Georgia (Kartli) in the mid-6th century to strengthen Christianity and combat the remnants of paganism and Zoroastrianism. As a young man he left his wealthy parents to become a disciple of the renowned hermit St. John of Zedazeni, and after many years of ascetic training set out for Georgia together with his teacher and eleven other companions. Settling in a cave in the wilderness west of Mtskheta, Shio led a life of extreme austerity. Disciples soon gathered around him, and on that site arose the monastery later known as Shio-Mgvime ("Shio's Cave") — one of Georgia's largest cave-monastery complexes, which in the saint's lifetime grew to some two thousand monks. A church dedicated to St. John the Baptist was built there. In his final years the venerable father withdrew into a deep pit-cave, where he spent about fifteen years in seclusion, fasting, and prayer, leaving his brethren 160 spiritual precepts. He reposed in peace on May 9, having received Holy Communion the day before. The Church commemorates him on May 9/22, as well as on the Thursday of Cheesefare Week together with the other Syrian Fathers.