Porphyrios of Kafsokalyvia

Early life

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 of Saint John the Hut-Dweller.

Clerical career He was tonsured a monk at the age of fourteen with the monastic name Nikitas. He served in the Athonite skete of Kafsokalyvia, in the Cell of St. George, under two spiritual fathers: Fr. Panteleimon and his brother Fr. Ioannikios. Forced by pleurisy 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, Nikitas was ordained a deacon and then a priest, under the name Porphyrios, at 21 years old. In 2014, the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church 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 also added him to their calendar on December 2. St. Porphyrios, similar to other canonised saints, has his own Akathist 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.

Eponymy On April 17, 2019, the Chapel of Saint Porphyrios was inaugurated by Metropolitan Panteleimon of Maroneia and Komotini, for the social houses of Agios Stylianos Parish of Komotini. Then, in December 2019, Metropolitan Andrei of Cluj 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, Ontario, under Fr. Peter (Craig) Bowers, of the Patriarchate of Constantinople.

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 ‘advice’ to them, 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 society as well.

Troparion Troparion — Tone 1

(Podoben: “O citizen of the desert…”)

O ye faithful, let us honor Porphyrios, / the offspring of Euboia the Elder of all Greece, / an initiate of theology, and a true lover of Christ; / from childhood he was filled with divine gifts; / those possessed by demons are delivered, the sick are healed, and they cry with faith: / “Glory to Him Who strengthened you. / Glory to Him Who sanctified you. / Glory to Him Who, through you, works healings for all.”

Books

English Elder Porphyrios from Kausokalibia; Life and Speeches, edition of monastery of Chrysopegi, Chania, Crete, Greece, copyright 2008 email [email protected] Joannidis, Klitos. Elder Porphyrios: Testimonies and Experiences. The Holy Convent of the Transfiguration of the Savior: Athens, 1995. 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.

Greek 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)