ST. ANTHIMOS KOUROUKLIS

The island of Cephalonia, besides the exceptional blessing of its patron Saint Gerasimos, has been blessed by the native Cephalonian Saints Anthimos Kourouklis (patron of Astypalaia), and Panagis Basias.
The island has also been blessed by St. Kosmas the Aetolean during his travels through Cephalonia.
St. Anthimos Kourouklis, son of Ioannis and Antzouleta Kourouklis, saw the light of day in 1727 in Lixouri. At a young age he is confronted with the destiny that awaits the just; distress and misfortune. At the age of seven he is hit by smallpox, an epidemic in Palliki at the time, and as a result loses his sight. His mother, following a blessed ritual of that time, conducts a "sarantaleitourgo" (forty liturgies). During the fortieth liturgy, as the priest is calling out "with the fear of God...", young Athanasios begins to feel the light and his sight is restored in the right eye.
For a while he follows his father's occupation and as a seamen arrives at Constantinople, the city every Christian dreams about.
The Divine Will combined with his natural inclination, lead him to embrace a life dedicated to God. He becomes a monk at the Monastery of St. Paraskevi at Lepeda, taking on the name Anthimos in honor of the Abbot. From there he moves on to the University of Monastic Brotherhood - Mount Athos - where he is ordained Higher Monk.
He travels to Chios, Sifnos, Paros and to the Holy Land - "where the Lord's feet have tread" - as a pilgrim. From here, enlightened by the Divine Will, he embarks upon a difficult but God-guided tour of several islands where he preached, performed miracles, prophesized and established magnificent monasteries.
His work is so impressive that P.N. Politis, a professor at Thessaloniki University, declares him to be "a splendid human being and one of the most significant men of our Church in the 18th century".
He established a monastery dedicated to St. George on the island of Kastelorizo, in the basement of which he founded a small chapel in honor of St. Haralambos the patron saint of his home town Lixouri.
A significant stoppover in his blessed journeys is the island of Astypalaia where in 1760 he founded a magnificent convent dedicated to the Holy Theotokos Portaitissa, complete with sleeping quarters and protective walls, and the miraculous icon from Mount Athos.
The operation of both establishments is confirmed by Patriarchic Decree of Patriarch Ioannikios.
The devastating earthquake of 1767 in Lixouri, the defamatory campaign against the clergy combined with the nostalgia for Cephalonia, lead his footsteps back to Lepeda Monastery which is by now in ruins. He salvages and rebuilds it, turning it into a Convent populated by devout nuns.
Following the restoration of both buildings and souls, he continues his journeys, this time founding the Holy Monasteries dedicated to St. Anthony in Sfakia - Crete, and St. John Prodromos in Kythera. At the latter, he dedicates the second throne of the chapel to his spiritual guide and patron of his homeland, St. Gerasimos. He moves on to Sikinos, founding the Monastery of Zoodohos Pege.
He has thus created six "castles" of faith, six safe harbors and lighthouses that emit the light of the Lord during especially dark days for the nation.
While living a peaceful and ascetic life back at his base at Lepeda, he receives three letters from Mani, imploring him to go there and assist in bringing peace to local conflicts.
He embarks on this journey aboard a small ship. Following a stoppover in the Peloponesean village of Kelbasio, he arrives in Mani where his pious nature and prophetic charisma enable him to intervene and bring the locals back to the road to salvation.
It is at this point of having achieved the highest state of spirituality, that the Lord informs him that he is to leave this world behind. With this information, he goes back to Lepeda, his place of solitude and repetance.
Before long he becomes ill with jaundice and his saintly soul passes over to the Lord on September 4th 1781 at this humble and blessed place of ascetism which still stands in the same spot.
Restitution of his Sacred Remains takes place in 1800 by the abbot, Ioannis Lepediotis.
Life at the Convent goes on. In 1920, on the iniative of Amilkas Alevizatos, a Lixourian academic and Government Councilor to the Holy Synod, the Convent is properly recognized and incorporated as part of St. Gerasimos Convent - a status that is upheld to date.
The devasting earthquakes in August of 1953 destroyed the Convent to the ground. Ermioni Alexandropoulou, the only remaining nun, rebuilt the chapel and part of the nun's quarters with the assistance of the Holy Metropolis and devout locals.
On March 28 1973, Prokopios Menoutis, then Metropolitan of Cephalonia, transfers in a litany procession the icon of St. Anthimos from the Church of Pantokratoras in Lixouri, amid celebrations for the Declaration of St. Anthimos into Sainthood, issued by Patriarchic and Synodic Decree οn July 30, 1974.
Today, devout pilgrims have the opportunity to worship the place of ascetism and entombment of this sainted man of our Church.