Gabriel Athonite

Gabriel Athonite, Bishop of Velica (10 March 1926 – 12 January 1990) was a Macedonian Orthodox bishop, monk, and ascetic, later canonized as a saint.^[1]

Mijalče Parnadziev was born on March 10, 1926, in Štip, Kingdom of Yugoslavia (now North Macedonia). He came from a well-known family of artisans. His parents, Metodij (who later became a monk named Cyril) and Gorica Parnadzievi, were deeply religious Orthodox Christians. His father would often pray standing for hours every night, teaching his son the importance of faith and devotion.

Mijalče attended primary and high school in Štip. He graduated in 1955 with a degree in sculpture from the University of Belgrade. He became regarded as of the best sculptors in the country and later worked as a professor of art history and education at the Štip High School.

In 1944, Mijalče joined the National Liberation Movement during World War II. He served as a partisan and later became part of a special defense unit stationed on the borders, including in Delčevo, Kavadarci, and the Kajmakchalan mountain. He earned the rank of sergeant and was awarded the Order of Merit for People. Despite his exemplary service, Mijalče never joined the Communist Party due to his strong faith and religious practices.

After the war, Mijalče worked for a time in the People’s Committee in Štip and participated in public works projects, including in New Belgrade. In 1955, he returned to his passion for art and became a professor at the Štip High School, where his students described him as a dedicated and moral teacher. His commitment to his students helped the school become one of the best in the region.^[2]

In 1963, Mijalče was tonsured a monk at the Monastery of Saint Paul on Mount Athos, taking the monastic name Gabriel, after the Archangel Gabriel. This event marked the beginning of his monastic life, as he fully committed himself to God and the ascetic path.

His journey to Mount Athos reflected his deep zeal to serve Christ. He traveled alone on foot from Thessaloniki, enduring a challenging three-day, three-night journey to reach the Holy Mountain. This struggle expressed his unwavering desire to give his entire life to Christ.

Upon his arrival at Mount Athos, he received a blessing from the Most Holy Theotokos. It is said that when he reached the shore of the White Sea and went to wash his face, he saw a woman gazing at him tenderly. After some time, she disappeared as mysteriously as she had appeared. Father Gabriel believed this to be the Most Holy Theotokos, as women are not allowed on Mount Athos. This encounter strengthened his resolve and deepened his commitment to his monastic journey.

Father Gabriel initially stayed at the Serbian Monastery Hilandar, but his time there was marked by political challenges, as his Macedonian origin led to difficulties with the authorities. He often had to travel to Athens to extend his visa. Despite these obstacles, Father Gabriel remained steadfast in his commitment to the monastic life.

On two occasions, attempts were made to expel him from Mount Athos. In one instance, a spider spun a web so large that his pursuers could not see him, and in another, snakes protected him.

Determined to live his monastic life, Father Gabriel decided to stay in the Garden of the Mother of God without official permission. He placed his trust entirely in God, living in a cave and often outdoors.

Though he was never officially accepted into any of the monasteries, he was always welcomed as an honored guest. He visited all the monasteries on Mount Athos, spending his longest time at the Russian skete “Kamena”, where he lived ascetically under the guidance of Father Tatjan Ivanov, an elderly Russian monk.

After Father Tatjan fell ill, Father Gabriel took him to the Saint Panteleimon Monastery hospital, where Father Tatjan reposed in the Lord. Father Gabriel then inherited the hermitage. Although he received material aid from various monasteries to manage the hermitage, he continued to live a life of asceticism, avoiding close relationships with others. He believed that the path to God was best found through distance from people.

Father Gabriel's quiet and humble nature earned him the nickname “The Invisible” at the monasteries of Hilandar and St. Paul, where he was rarely seen except when partaking in Holy Communion. His spiritual struggle and ascetic life on Mount Athos remained largely unknown to the public, but those who encountered him admired his deep devotion to God.

He requested Greek citizenship to remain permanently on Mount Athos, but his request was denied. Consequently, Father Gabriel returned to Macedonia in 1971, marking the end of his time on the Holy Mountain.^[2]

On 28 August 1989, on the Feast of the Dormition of the Mother of God, he was consecrated as bishop with the title of Velica.^[2]

He died on 12 January 1990.^[2]

In May 2017, Gabriel was officially canonized as a saint by the Macedonian Orthodox Church – Ohrid Archbishopric.^[3]

His feast day is commemorated annually on 12 January, and services in his honor are held in various parishes, including at Lesnovo Monastery.^[4]

• Poetry Collection (1975)
• Holy Mountain – Heavenly Land (1978)
• Before the Greatest Jubilee of Man (1980)
• Rules and Regulations of the Orthodox Church on Fasting (1994)
• Father Cherubim (1997)