Venerable Xenophon of Athos

Venerable Xenophon of Athos is venerated as the founder of the Xenophontos Monastery, one of the twenty ruling monasteries of Mount Athos, founded, according to various datings, at the end of the 10th century or during the 11th century. The identity of the founder and the exact circumstances of his life remain a subject of scholarly discussion: Athonite tradition contains diverging accounts of the time of his asceticism, and the monastery's name may derive from a benefactor or patron rather than solely from its monk-founder. Venerable Xenophon of Athos is a figure distinct from Venerable Xenophon of Constantinople (5th c., father of Sts. Arcadius and John, whose memory is celebrated on January 26/February 8). A reliable feast date for Venerable Xenophon of Athos is not established in the sources.