His family was poor, and he was taught by a local priest, Aleksije Radičević, and hieromonk Isaija Bajković who ordained him as a monk at Vranjina Monastery.
The young man's impoverished background led to his education being provided by a nearby priest, Aleksije Radičević, and a monk, Isaija Bajković, who later conferred on him the status of a monk at Vranjina Monastery.