The extension of the Athonite Commonwealth to the West began with the Russian diaspora following the Revolution of 1917. Fr Sophrony (1896-1993), born in Moscow, moved to Paris in 1921 and then in 1925 to the monastery of St Panteleimonos on Athos where he became a disciple of St Silouan (1866-1938). After some years as a hermit, in 1947 he returned to Paris to publish Silouan’s works. In 1959 he moved to England where he founded the monastery of St John the Baptist in Essex. Fr Ephraim (1927-), born in Volos, joined the brotherhood of Elder Joseph the Hesychast at New Skete on Athos. After many years as a hermit he moved into the monastery of Philotheou with his disciples and revived it. Since then he has moved to the USA and founded no fewer than seventeen monasteries across North America. Fr Placide (1926-), born in Paris to a Roman Catholic family, after a complicated spiritual journey, found his way to the monastery of Simonopetra on Athos where he was baptized Orthodox and tonsured a monk. Since then he has returned to France and founded three monasteries, all metochia of Simonopetra, where seeds of Athonite spirituality have been planted.