Theophan the Recluse

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Saint Theophan the Recluse
Born	(1815-01-10)January 10, 1815 Chernavsk, Oryol Governorate, Russian Empire
Died	January 6, 1894(1894-01-06) (aged 78) Vysha Monastery, Russian Empire
Venerated in	Eastern Orthodox Church
Canonized	6 June 1988, Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius by 1988 Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church, (Patriarch Pimen I of Moscow)
Feast	29 June 19 January 23 January[1]

Theophan the Recluse (Russian: Феофан Затворник, romanized: Feofan Zatvornik), also known as Theophanes the Recluse or the Enlightener Theophan the Recluse of Vysha (Russian: святитель Феофан Затворник Вышенский;^[2] January 10, 1815 – January 6, 1894) was a bishop of the Russian Orthodox Church and theologian, recognized as a saint in 1988.

He is best known today through the books and letters he wrote concerning spiritual life, especially on the subjects of the Christian life and the training of youth in the faith. He also played an important role in translating the Philokalia from Church Slavonic into Russian. The Philokalia is a classic of Orthodox spirituality, composed of the collected works of a number of Church Fathers which were edited and placed in a four volume set in the 17th and 18th centuries. A persistent theme is developing an interior life of continuous prayer,^[3] learning to "pray without ceasing" as St. Paul teaches in his first letter to the Thessalonians.