Valaam Monastery
He subsequently joined Valaam Monastery as a novice, coming under the spiritual direction of Archimandrite Pancratius (Zherdev), the monastery's abbot, now a titular bishop of Troitsk. While in Russia, Paffhausen was taken to see Fr. Pancratius' own spiritual father, Elder Cyril (Pavlov) of Trinity-St. Sergius Lavra to ask for advice in discerning his vocation. Elder Kyrill blessed him to become a hieromonk.