Saint Acacius or Akakios the Younger, also known as Akakios the New of Kafsokalyvia ( el, Ακάκιος ο Νέος, ο Καυσοκαλυβίτης; 1630s – 12 April 1730) was a Greek Orthodox Christian monk and ascetic who lived on Mount Athos. His feast day is celebrated by the

Eastern Orthodox Church The Eastern Orthodox Church, also called the Orthodox Church, is the second-largest Christian church, with approximately 220 million baptized members. It operates as a communion of autocephalous churches, each governed by its bishops vi ...

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Biography

He was born Anastasios sometime in the 1630s in Golitsa (now Agios Akakios (Άγιος Ακάκιος)),

Karditsa Karditsa ( el, Καρδίτσα ) is a city in western Thessaly in mainland Greece. The city of Karditsa is the capital of Karditsa regional unit of region of Thessaly. Inhabitation is attested from 9000 BC. Karditsa ls linked with GR-30, the ...

. At the age of 23, he moved to Zagora,

Volos Volos ( el, Βόλος ) is a coastal port city in Thessaly situated midway on the Greek mainland, about north of Athens and south of Thessaloniki. It is the sixth most populous city of Greece, and the capital of the Magnesia regional unit ...

and joined the Monastery of Sourvia. There, he received his

tonsure Tonsure () is the practice of cutting or shaving some or all of the hair on the scalp as a sign of religious devotion or humility. The term originates from the Latin word ' (meaning "clipping" or "shearing") and referred to a specific practice i ...

and took on the

monastic name A religious name is a type of given name bestowed for a religious purposes, and which is generally used in such contexts. Christianity Catholic Church Baptismal name In baptism, Catholics are given a Christian name, which should not be "foreign ...

of Akakios (Ακάκιος). In the 1660s, Akakios moved to the southern tip of Mount Athos and lived as a hermit in the Cave of Maximos of Kafsokalyvia near the

Skete A skete ( ) is a monastic community in Eastern Christianity that allows relative isolation for monks, but also allows for communal services and the safety of shared resources and protection. It is one of four types of early monastic orders, a ...

Kafsokalyvia Kafsokalyvia ( el, Καυσοκαλύβια, lit=burning hut) is a settlement and idiorrhythmic skete in Mount Athos. It is located at the southern edge of the Athos peninsula. Kafsokalyvia is named after Maximos Kausokalybites ("Maximos the Hut B ...

. There, Akakios had many divine visions in which he was visited by Maximos of Kafsokalyvia. He also spent time at the Monastery of Dionysiou and the Skete of Pantokratoros. He was also a spiritual mentor to the Neomartyr saints Romanos (feast day:

January 5 Events Pre-1600 *1477 – Battle of Nancy: Charles the Bold is defeated and killed in a conflict with René II, Duke of Lorraine; Burgundy subsequently becomes part of France. 1601–1900 * 1675 – Battle of Colmar: The French a ...

), Pachomios (

May 6 Events Pre-1600 * 1527 – Spanish and German troops sack Rome; many scholars consider this the end of the Renaissance. * 1536 – The Siege of Cuzco commences, in which Incan forces attempt to retake the city of Cuzco from the Sp ...

), and Nikodimos (

July 11 Events Pre-1600 * 472 – After being besieged in Rome by his own generals, Western Roman Emperor Anthemius is captured in St. Peter's Basilica and put to death. * 813 – Byzantine emperor Michael I, under threat by conspiracies, ...

). Akakios practiced intense asceticism and was said to have eaten dry grass crushed with a piece of marble, rather than bread. In his later years, he moved down from the higher cliffs to a cave near the Skete of

. Today, this cave is named after him. In 1725, Vasil Grigorovich-Barsky visited Akakios and wrote an account of him. He died on April 12, 1730 and was said to have foretold his own death shortly before then.

Relics and sites

His relics are kept in the Monastery of Dionysiou and in

. A spring in Kafsokalyvia is also known as the ''Holy Water of Saint Akakios''. Fresh spring water was found there when Saint Akakios prayed while a man was digging for it.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Arsenios The Cave Dweller 1630s births 1730 deaths 18th-century Christian saints 18th-century Christian mystics Christian ascetics Athonite Fathers Eastern Orthodox mystics Eastern Orthodox monks Greek saints of the Eastern Orthodox Church Hesychasts Greek hermits People from Karditsa (regional unit) People associated with Dionysiou Monastery People associated with Pantokratoros Monastery