Saint Paisios was born in Cappadocia on July 25, 1924. His father was named Prodromus and his mother was named Eulampia. The saint had 8 siblings. On August 7th, 1924, saint Paisios was baptized by Saint Arsenio the Cappadocian, who insisted to give him his own name. Five weeks after the baptism of young Arsenios, on September 14th, 1924, his family was forced to flee with the general exodus of Greek refugees from Asia Minor. They settled in Eperos in Northwestern Greece. He first visited Mt. Athos in 1949 AD after he completed his time in the army.
Elder Porphyrios was born on the 7th of February 1906, in the village of St. John Karystia, near Aliveri, in the province of Evia. His parents were poor but pious farmers. His father's name was Leonidas Bairaktaris and his mother's was Eleni, the daughter of Antonios Lambrou. At baptism he was given the name Evangelos. He was the fourth of five children, and the third child of the four that survived. His oldest sister, Vassiliki, passed away when she was a year old. His father had a monastic calling but obviously did not become a monk. He was, however, the village cantor, and St. Nectarios called upon his services during his journeys through the area, but poverty forced him to immigrate to America to work on the construction of the Panama Canal.
It is not easy to describe in a few words the life and works of a great ascetic Elder Arsenios. He was born in Pontos in 1886. While still young, he was burning with Holy zeal. He decided to leave his country and walk from Russia to Constantinople and from there to the Holy Land, where he served at the Holy Sepulcher and at other Holy places for almost ten years. In the Church of the Holy Resurrection in Jerusalem, blessed Elder Arsenios served for more than ten years. There, it was God’s will to meet with the well-known great ascetic of Egina, Ieronymos, from whom he received the higher teachings of monastic life. His soul, thirsty and burning with Holy adoration, was calling together with David: “Truly my soul waits upon God, from Him comes my salvation. He alone is my rock and my salvation, He is my fortress, I shall never be shaken”. He then left the wiles of the world and ascended to Mount Athos, the Holy garden of our Lady.
Saint George Karslides was born in Argyroupolis, Pontos in 1901. He became an orphan very young, so it was his pious grandmother, who raised the young Athanasios (St. George's baptismal name) to have a "holy fear of God and a fervent love for the Church's divine services". The region of Pontos in Asia Minor has historically been a great seat of Orthodoxy and more recently was also the site of such spiritually important monasteries of Panagia Soumela, Peristereota and St. John Vazelonos. At the age of five Athanasios began tending his family\'s flocks, all while bearing the harsh treatment of his older brother, who made life difficult for him and for his younger sister Anna. They bore this with love, perseverance and holiness. In fact, when Anna died at a young age, light emanated from her grave. Three years later, when her remains were exhumed, her bones had the same yellow hue as the Saints of God.
Elder Joseph the Hesychast or Spileot was born in 1898 in the village of Lefkes on the Paros Island in Greece. He had been chosen to serve God since he was in his mother’s womb. He lost his father when he was very young, and his mother, who was very pious, took care of his education. Since his family was very poor, the young Frances, (that was his name before he took monastic vows), had to labour from a very early age in order to provide the necessary things for the survival of his family.
Saint Nicholas Planas was born in Naxos in 1851. His parents, captain John and Augustina, were quite well off but were also good people, with the simple and pure soul. They had their own estate, with a little chapel in the middle of it by the name of Saint Nicholas. Very frequently little Nicholas Planas would hide in the chapel wearing a bed sheet, and he would chant whatever he knew, as he was still a small child. At other times, he would gather his friends, and they would "celebrate" the Divine Liturgy.
Saint elder Iakovos Tsalikis was among the holiest Elders, who lived in Greece the past decades. His holiness is acknowledged by almost all Greeks and thousands of faithful from the rest world. His entire holy life and the miracles he worked and is still working today, place him among the biggest recent Saints of the Orthodox Christian Religion. Fr. Iakovos Tsalikis was born in Livisi, Asia Minor on November 5, 1920. He was one of nine children that his mother Theodora gave birth to. His father Stavros was taken captive by the Turks in the catastrophe of Asia Minor, when the Greeks lost the war. The father was later released and joined his family in Greece. Because of the difficult times in which the Elder’s family lived only three of the nine children lived beyond infancy.
Papa-Tychon was born in Novaya Mikhalovka, Russia, in 1884, from pious parents, Pavel and Elena. When he was seventeen, they gave him their blessing to go on a pilgrimage to the monasteries of Russia for three years. Completing that, he moved on to the God-trodden Mountain, Mount Sinai, for two months, and settled in the Holy Land, beyond the Jordan, to live as an ascetic for a while. Unfortunately, the elder couldn’t find his peace there because of the many pilgrims and was forced to leave for the Holy Mountain.
Archimandrite Sophrony was born in 1896, to Orthodox parents in Tsarist Russia. Since he was a child, he showed a rare capacity for prayer and as a young boy would participate in theological debate. Prayer entails the idea of eternity with God. In prayer, the reality of the living God is yoked with the concrete reality of earthly life. This craving, like a flame in the heart, irradiated his student days at the State School of Fine Arts in Moscow. This was the period, when a parallel speculative interest in Buddhism and the whole arena of Indian culture changed the clef of his inner life.
Blessed Elder Archimandrite Philotheos Zervakos of Longovarda (1884-1980) is a well-known 20th-century Greek Orthodox elder, from Paros island, and spiritual son of St. Nektarios of Aegina. He was imprisoned twice by the Turks during the final years of the Ottoman occupation of Thessaloniki. Although he has not been glorified he is considered a saint in Greece. Blessed Elder Archimandrite Philotheos (Zervakos) was born in the small and remote village of Pakia in Sparti, Peloponesse, Greece, in the year 1884 and was given the name of Constantine at his baptism. From childhood he demonstrated an exceptional love for God.
The Hieromonk Amvrosios was born in village Lazarata in Lefkada, of pious parents, teacher Panayoti Lazari and Louiza. His first name was Spyridon and he was the fourth child of the family. From young age, Spyridon was characterized by a calm spirit and love for the Church. His father was sent to the war, so his mother was responsible for the raising of the children. Spyridon had attended only the first two grades of the primary school. He quit school because he needed to help in the family chores. Later, when the time came, he served in the military as an “Euzonas” for three years, that means he served the palace.
Gerontissa Gabrielia (Gavrielia) was born in Constantinople more than a hundred years ago on October 15, 1897 to Helias and Victoria Papayanni and was the fourth and last child of the family. She grew up in Constantinople until her family moved to Thessaloniki in 1923. She went to England in 1938 and stayed there throughout the Second World War. She trained as a chiropodist and physiotherapist. In England they honored her for her services during the war and after.
