Saint Porphyrios (Bairaktaris) the Kafsokalyvite ( el, Όσιος Πορφύριος ο Καυσοκαλυβίτης;

secular name A legal name is the name that identifies a person for legal, administrative and other official purposes. A person's legal birth name generally is the name of the person that was given for the purpose of Civil registry, registration of the birth an ...

: Evangelos Bairaktaris ( el, Ευάγγελος Μπαϊρακτάρης; February7,1906December2,1991) was a

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

Athonite

hieromonk A hieromonk ( el, Ἱερομόναχος, Ieromonachos; ka, მღვდელმონაზონი, tr; Slavonic: ''Ieromonakh'', ro, Ieromonah), also called a priestmonk, is a monk who is also a priest in the Eastern Orthodox Church an ...

and

Eastern Orthodox Eastern Orthodoxy, also known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity, is one of the three main branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholicism and Protestantism. Like the Pentarchy of the first millennium, the mainstream (or "canonical") ...

Saint In religious belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of Q-D-Š, holiness, likeness, or closeness to God. However, the use of the term ''saint'' depends on the context and Christian denomination, denominat ...

known for his gifts of

spiritual discernment In Christianity, Discernment is the ability to obtain sharp perceptions or to judge well (or the activity of so doing). In the case of judgement, discernment can be psychology, psychological, morality, moral or aesthetic in nature. Discernment ...

Biography

St. Porphyrios was born on February 7, 1906, in the village of ''Agios Ioannis'', which translates to St. John Karystia, in the province of Evia in Greece. His parents, Leonidas and Eleni Bairaktaris, baptized him as Evangelos, and he was the fourth out of five siblings. He attended only 2 years of school in his childhood, and instead began work at 8 years old, first tending animals on his family's farm, then in a coal mine, and finally for a grocer in Halkhida and Piraeus. It was during his childhood where it is claimed he wanted to pursue a monastic lifestyle, which he was inspired to do after reading the life o
Saint John the Hut-Dweller
He was

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 in ...

d a monk at the age of fourteen with the monastic name Nikitas. He served in the Athonite

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 ...

, in the Cell of St. George, under two spiritual fathers: Fr. Panteleimon and his brother Fr. Ioannikios. Forced by

pleurisy Pleurisy, also known as pleuritis, is inflammation of the membranes that surround the lungs and line the chest cavity (pleurae). This can result in a sharp chest pain while breathing. Occasionally the pain may be a constant dull ache. Other sy ...

to depart the Holy Mountain, he returned to ''Agios Ioannis'', staying at the monastery of Saint Haralambos while back in his birthplace. During this time he was often visited by Bishop Fostimis of Kymi, and through the help of Porphyrios III,

Archbishop of Mount Sinai and Raithu The following is a list of Orthodox Archbishops of Mount Sinai and Raithu ( el, Αρχιεπίσκοπος Σινά και Ραϊθώ). The Church of Sinai is an autonomous (given that the Archbishop, and abbot of the monastery, is elected by the a ...

, Nikitas was

ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform va ...

a deacon and then a priest, under the name Porphyrios, at 21 years old. Two years after his ordination, Metropolitan Panteleimon of

Karystia Karystia was one of the provinces of the Euboea Prefecture, Greece. Its territory corresponded with that of the current municipalities Karystos, Kymi-Aliveri, and Skyros Skyros ( el, Σκύρος, ), in some historical contexts Latinized Scyr ...

appointed him as a

father confessor Confessor is a title used within Christianity in several ways. Confessor of the Faith Its oldest use is to indicate a saint who has suffered persecution and torture for the faith but not to the point of death.Archimandrite The title archimandrite ( gr, ἀρχιμανδρίτης, archimandritēs), used in Eastern Christianity, originally referred to a superior abbot (''hegumenos'', gr, ἡγούμενος, present participle of the verb meaning "to lead") who ...

in 1938. With the outbreak of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, St. Porphyrios became a hospital

chaplain A chaplain is, traditionally, a cleric (such as a Minister (Christianity), minister, priest, pastor, rabbi, purohit, or imam), or a laity, lay representative of a religious tradition, attached to a secularity, secular institution (such as a hosp ...

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...

, namely the Polyclinic Hospital, which he served for around 33 years, from 1940 to 1973. During his time there, he was allowed to also serve the Church of Saint Gerasimos by the Professor of Canon Law, Amilkas Alivizatos, and also aided in the renewal of the Church of Saint Nicholas in Kallisia. While working as a chaplain, he had also suffered various afflictions, including a fractured leg, kidney troubles, and a coma. Following his service as a chaplain, he worked to accomplish his goal of establishing a

convent A convent is a community of monks, nuns, religious brothers or, sisters or priests. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The word is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglican ...

, initially in 1955 with the Holy Monastery of Pendeli, to no success. By 1981, St. Porphyrios had his convent, the Holy Convent of the Transfiguration of the Savior, recognized by

Presidential decree A decree is a legal proclamation, usually issued by a head of state (such as the president of a republic or a monarch), according to certain procedures (usually established in a constitution). It has the force of law. The particular term used for ...

, and although construction work began in 1980, the foundations were not laid until February 1990. Between this time, in 1984, he returned to Mt. Athos, and resumed living in the same cell he occupied prior to his leave. His physical health continued to deteriorate, suffering from a

hernia A hernia is the abnormal exit of tissue or an organ (anatomy), organ, such as the bowel, through the wall of the cavity in which it normally resides. Various types of hernias can occur, most commonly involving the abdomen, and specifically the gr ...

which persisted until his death, a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...

, and blindness in 1987 caused by a botched operation on his left eye. It was on Mt. Athos where he spent the rest of his life, and wished to have a quiet death, preparing a farewell letter for hi
spiritual children
to avoid a crowd. He died on December 2, 1991, at 4:31 AM, surrounded by a few monks of the holy skete of Kavsokalyvia, and had his death announced at the dawn of December 3.

Canonization

Through his role as a

spiritual father Confessor is a title used within Christianity in several ways. Confessor of the Faith Its oldest use is to indicate a saint who has suffered persecution of Christians, persecution and torture for the faith but not to the point of death.

, Elder Porphyrios became known to an ever-wider circle of Orthodox followers, and his sainthood was declared by the synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate on November 27, 2013. In 2014, the Holy Synod of the

Russian Orthodox Church , native_name_lang = ru , image = Moscow July 2011-7a.jpg , imagewidth = , alt = , caption = Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow, Russia , abbreviation = ROC , type ...

decreed that St. Porphyrios' name be added to their church calendar and commemorated on December 2. In 2017, the holy synod of the

Romanian Orthodox Church The Romanian Orthodox Church (ROC; ro, Biserica Ortodoxă Română, ), or Patriarchate of Romania, is an autocephalous Eastern Orthodox church in full communion with other Eastern Orthodox Christian denomination, Christian churches, and one of ...

also added him to their calendar on December 2. St. Porphyrios, similar to other canonized saints, has his own

Akathist An Akathist Hymn ( el, Ἀκάθιστος Ὕμνος, "unseated hymn") is a type of hymn usually recited by Eastern Orthodox or Eastern Catholic Christians, dedicated to a saint, holy event, or one of the persons of the Holy Trinity. The ...

that is sung on December 2, his commemoration and feast day. Several compilations of stories and sayings attributed to him have been published since his commemoration as a saint. On April 17, 2019, the Chapel of Saint Porphyrios was inaugurated by Metropolitan Panteleimon of

Maroneia Maroneia ( el, Μαρώνεια) is a village and a former municipality in Rhodope regional unit, East Macedonia and Thrace, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Maroneia-Sapes, of which it is a munic ...

and

Komotini Komotini ( el, Κομοτηνή, tr, Gümülcine, bg, Комотини) is a city in the region of East Macedonia and Thrace, northeastern Greece. It is the capital of the Rhodope. It was the administrative centre of the Rhodope-Evros super-pr ...

, for the social houses of Agios Stylianos Parish of Komotini. Then, in December 2019, Metropolitan Andrei of

Cluj ; hu, kincses város) , official_name=Cluj-Napoca , native_name= , image_skyline= , subdivision_type1 = County , subdivision_name1 = Cluj County , subdivision_type2 = Status , subdivision_name2 = County seat , settlement_type = City , le ...

dedicated the chapel of the Rebra-Parva monastery, found in Romania's Bistrița-Năsăud county, to Saint Porphyrios. In January 2021, an Orthodox, English language, multicultural mission parish dedicated to Saint Porphyrios was formed in

Lanark County Lanark County is a county located in the Canadian province of Ontario. Its county seat is Perth, which was first settled in 1816.Brown, Howard Morton, 1984. Lanark Legacy, Nineteenth Century Glimpses of on Ontario County. Corporation of the Cou ...

, Ontario, under Fr. Peter (Craig) Bowers, of the Patriarchate of Constantinople.
ST. PORPHYRIOS ORTHODOX CHURCH
'' Retrieved: 6 December 2021.

Quotes

* This is the way we should see Christ. He is our friend, our brother; He is whatever is good and beautiful. He is everything. Yet, He is still a friend and He shouts it out, "You're my friends, don't you understand that? We're brothers. I'm not...I don't hold hell in my hands. I am not threatening you. I love you. I want you to enjoy life together with me." * Love Christ and put nothing before His Love. He is joy, He is life, He is light. Christ is Everything. He is the ultimate desire, He is everything. Everything beautiful is in Christ. * Somebody who is Christ's must love Christ, and when he loves Christ he is delivered from the Devil, from hell and from death. * The life of the parents is the only thing that makes good children. Parents should be very patient and ‘saintlike’ to their children. They should truly love their children. And the children will share this love! For the bad attitude of the children, says father Porphyrios, the ones who are usually responsible for it are their parents themselves. The parents don't help their children by lecturing them and repeating to them ‘advices’, or by making them obeying strict rules in order to impose discipline. If the parents do not become ‘saints’ and truly love their children and if they don't struggle for it, then they make a huge mistake. With their wrong and/or negative attitude the parents convey to their children their negative feelings. Then their children become reactive and insecure not only to their home, but to the society as well.

Books

*''Elder Porphyrios from Kausokalibia; Life and Speeches'', edition of monastery of Chrysopegi, Chania, Crete, Greece, copyright 2008 email imx@otenet.gr *Joannidis, Klitos. ''Elder Porphyrios: Testimonies and Experiences.'' The Holy Convent of the Transfiguration of the Savior: Athens, 1995. 978-9608538258 *Papathanasiou, Athanasios N. ''A Hesychast from the Holy Mountain in the Heart of a City'', (Denise Harvey: Limni 2014), . *''Wounded by Love: The Life and the Wisdom of Saint Porphyrios'' (Denise Harvey: Limni 2005), , 9th reprinting. (An anthology of letters and other writings by Saint Porphyrios) *The Holy Stavropegic Monastery of Chrysopigi. ''Christ is fullness of life''. Translated by Fr John Raffan. Chania, Crete, Greece: The Holy Patriarchal Stavropegic Monastery of Chrysopigi, 2016. . (Selections from ''Wounded by Love'') *Yiannitsiotis, Constantine. ''With Elder Porphyrios: A Spiritual Child Remembers.'' The Holy Convent of the Transfiguration of the Savior: Athens, 2001. *Ἁγίου Πορφυρίου. «Θὰ σᾶς πῶ». Ἱερὸν Ἡσυχαστήριον «Ἡ Μεταμόρφωσις τοῦ Σωτῆρος». 2015 („I will tell you“. Written narratives from recordings of the Saint about his life) *Ησυχαστήριον Οσίου Πορφυρίου Καυσοκαλυβίτου. «Ανθολόγιο Θαυμάτων», 2017. *Ἁγίου Πορφυρίου. Θεία Λειτουργία με τον Άγιο Πορφύριο τον Καυσοκαλυβίτη. Βιβλίο με δίσκο. 2018 *Ησυχαστήριον Οσίου Πορφυρίου Καυσοκαλυβίτου. «΄Ενας να με ακούσει και θα του στείλει ο Θεός πλούσια τη χάρη του», 2018. *Ησυχαστήριον Οσίου Πορφυρίου Καυσοκαλυβίτου. «Συμβουλές για την πνευματική ζωή στην οικογένεια», 2018. (Advices for the spiritual life within the family)

References

External links

Saint Venerable Porphyrios of Kafsokalyvia: Official Website of His Nunnery in Oropos, AtticaElder Porphyrios Kafsokalyvitis: Official Website of the Transfiguration of the Saviour, the Holy Convent that he established
* ttp://www.orthodoxphotos.com/Orthodox_Elders/Greek/Fr._Porphyrios/index.shtml Biographical informationbr>Dr Dimitrios - James Manos: Elder Porphyrios - about the young people
{{Authority control 1906 births 1991 deaths Athonite Fathers Clairvoyants Eastern Orthodox monks Greek Christian monks Saints of modern Greece 20th-century Christian saints 20th-century Christian monks Greek saints of the Eastern Orthodox Church People from Euboea (regional unit)