Biography
Dionysius the Recluse of the Kiev Caves
About Dionysius the Recluse of the Kiev Caves
Dionysius, also called Schepa, is remembered as a recluse of the Kiev Far Caves. The Orthodox Church in America's notice traces his remembrance to a brief episode in the Kiev Caves Paterikon. During Easter worship in 1463, the story says, he censed the relics of the departed fathers and greeted them with the announcement of the Resurrection. A powerful answering greeting was reportedly heard from their tombs. The account says that Dionysius thereafter withdrew into seclusion. This is a hagiographic miracle narrative, not independently verified dialogue. The episode is also recalled in the community's liturgical canon. No exact birth or death year, family history, or wider personal chronology is supplied.
Wondering how to weigh the stories and sources? Learn how to read a saint biography.