Teoctist was probably tonsured a monk and served as "starets" at Neamț Monastery, which at the time was the country's most prominent. According to Nicolae Iorga, he was the son of a "boyar" and seemingly related to the princely family, given his extensive involvement in state affairs. A powerful and respected figure, he was also educated, and helped advance Slavonic culture in Moldavia. Iorga too theorized Teoctist's ties to Neamț, a leading center of learning and a refuge for the Slavonic milieu, which the Ottoman conquest had repressed in Bulgaria and Serbia.