Elevation of the Holy Cross Eastern Orthodox Church

St. Gerasimos was born in the city of Trikkala on the rugged mainland of the Peloponnese in 1509 A.D. His entire life was dedicated to serving the Lord. While many of the men and women honored as "saints" by the Church were content to remain in one place, St. Gerasimos might be characterized as being a "man on the go!" He traveled to all of the great centers of Christianity: Mt. Athos, Constantinople, Thessalonika, Damascus and finally, Jerusalem. While in Jerusalem, he spent many years performing the humblest of tasks: lighting the lampadas in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. St. Gerasimos was a true ascetic. He would withdraw frequently into the wilderness beyond the Jordan where, in imitation of our Lord, he would fast for 40 days. He would also embark on lengthy periods of self-imposed silence to further perfect spiritual discipline within his heart.

St. Gerasimos is, perhaps, best remembered for his labors when he went to the island of Cephalonia, where he lived in a cave for a number of years. While living on the island, he founded a monastery for women. He was to spend some 30 years on Cephalonia, where the Lord blessed him with the power to heal the sick and cast out unclean spirits. St. Gerasimos fell asleep in the Lord on August 15, 1579 A.D. His body was exhumed after 3 years, which was the custom in the day. Amazingly, the saint's remains showed no visible sign of decay, and a sweet-smelling fragrance exuded from his casket. The body of St. Gerasimos was encased in glass and lies in state in the monastery church on Cephalonia.