Venerable Gerasimus of Athos (+1579)

The Venerable Gerasimus of Athos was born in the village of Trikala in the Peloponnese. When he came of age he went to the island of Zakynthos to labour. On the Holy Mountain Gerasimus became a disciple of the ascetics of Athos; then, with the blessing of the elders, he went to Jerusalem to venerate the Lord’s Tomb, visited the holy places of Mount Sinai, Antioch, Damascus, Alexandria and Egypt, and returned again to Jerusalem. There Germanus II, Patriarch of Jerusalem (1534–1579), ordained the saint first deacon and then priest.

Despite his priestly rank the Venerable Gerasimus laboured in the life of a hermit. At last the saint received the patriarch’s blessing for the labour of silence and withdrew to Zakynthos. There the blessed one spent five years entirely alone, living only on plants. After this, by inspiration from on high, Gerasimus moved to the island of Kefalonia and at Omala, by a church he had restored, founded a convent. The venerable father laboured there for thirty years. For his holy life he was granted the gift of healing the sick and casting out evil spirits. The Lord’s chosen one was told of his end a few days beforehand; he blessed the nuns and reposed in peace on 15 August 1579, at the age of seventy-one. Two years later his relics were brought up incorrupt. The holy relics gave off a fragrance and healed the sick.