Saint Sophrony (1896-1993)

This article offers a biographical overview of Saint Sophrony Sakharov (1896-1993), a major figure in twentieth-century Orthodox spirituality. Written by Jean-Claude Polet, secretary of the Association Saint-Silouane-l'Athonite, it traces the key stages of an exceptional journey, from Sophrony's Russian origins to the founding of the Monastery of Saint John the Baptist in England, by way of his time on Mount Athos with Saint Silouan. The article sheds light on the way this journey is embedded in the historical and spiritual upheavals of the last century. Its contribution lies in the contextualisation of a life devoted to the transmission of the hesychast tradition, allowing the reader to grasp the theological and spiritual coherence of an existence marked by prayer, exile and encounter.