Saint Dionysius I, Metropolitan of Moscow

Saint Dionysius I (Russian: Дионисий, romanized: Dionisy; secular name: David; c. 1300 – 15 October 1385) was the metropolitan of the Russian Orthodox Church from 1384 to 1385. A native of the Principality of Kiev, David entered the Kiev Caves Lavra as young man, where he was tonsured a hieromonk and given the religious name Dionysius. He is known to have spent a number of years living in a cave that he dug out himself on the banks of the Volga River not far from Nizhny Novgorod. Later, Dionysius founded the Pechersky Monastery on that same spot, which was dedicated in honour of the Ascension of the Lord. In 1374, he was consecrated as the bishop of Suzdal and won love and respect on the part of the locals. In 1378, Dionysius was recommended as the Metropolitan by Sergius of Radonezh after the death of Metropolitan Alexius. However, Grand Prince Dmitri Donskoi had his own candidate – a priest by the name of Mikhail (Mityaya). Dionysius was one of a number of bishops at the council who opposed Mikhail, who was suspected of heresy (strigolniki). If elected, Mikhail wanted to introduce a new way of enthroning the Metropolitan at home, in Russia, rather than traveling to Constantinople to be installed by the ecumenical patriarch (at the time, Russia did not have an autocephalous church). In 1379, Dionysius went to Constantinople carrying a protest against the choice of Mikhail addressed to the Patriarch. Mikhail was afraid that Dionysius would get the patriarch's blessing and followed him to Constantinople. However, Mikhail died on his way there and one of his accompanying clergymen, Archmandrite Pimen, reached Constantinople before Dionysius and was named as the metropolitan in place of Mikhail. In 1382, Dionysius received the title of archbishop from the patriarch, who was impressed with his piety and humility. In 1383, Dionysius returned from this long journey to his congregation at Suzdal and continued his struggle against the strigolniki.