Venerable
Venerable Neophytus of Dochiariou
кон. XI — нач. XII в.
Also known as: Неофит Дохиарский (Афонский), Неофит, игумен Дохиарский, Прпп. Евфимий и Неофит Дохиарские
Abbot and second founder of the Athonite monastery of Dochiariou, who rebuilt the monastery and its church of the Archangel Michael, wrote its rule and served as Protos of the Holy Mountain; venerated together with the founder, St Euthymius.
Venerable Neophytus is honoured as the second founder of the monastery of Dochiariou on Mount Athos. According to a later monastic tale, the monastery was founded by the monk Euthymius, a disciple of St Athanasius of Athos and cellarer (dochiar) of the Great Lavra, after whose office the house was named.
Neophytus, son of the grand duke John and a high official at the imperial court, came to Athos after his parents' death, became a monk under his uncle, the abbot of Dochiariou, and succeeded him. He spent his fortune on the monastery, building a tower, a new main church dedicated to the Archangel Michael, a chapel of St Nicholas and cells, and acquiring estates. He was elected Protos of the Holy Mountain and wrote the monastery's rule (Diataxis). Documents place his abbacy in the late eleventh and early twelfth centuries; the church was completed around 1118. Monastic tradition dates the wonder-working icon "Quick to Hear" (Gorgoepikoos) to his time.
In the Russian Church Saints Euthymius and Neophytus of Dochiariou are commemorated in the Synaxis of the Saints of Athos; the monastery keeps their memory on 9 November.