The Great Xenofon the Founder had always been honoured as a saint, and is connected with the beginnings of the historical presence of the Monastery. He is mentioned together with the Athonite saints in the oldest known catalogue of them, which is included in the 18th century work The Garden of Graces by Kaisarios Dapontes. Xenofon the Founder is included in all the relevant studies of Athonite history, starting with the 1701 Pilgrim’s Book of Ioannos Komninos.
In 1998, during the events organized to celebrate the thousand-year anniversary of the Monastery, the Great Xenofon was officially added to the list of saints of the Orthodox Church by the Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, in accordance with the relevant normal procedure for such an action. The date for the honouring of his memory was set at 24 April, while a relevant liturgical service was also decided.
