The Monastery of Agios Gerasimos in Kefalonia: Saint Gerasimos, born in 1503 in Trikala (Thessaly), is the patron saint of Kefalonia. He was ordained as a monk at Mount Athos, then went to Jerusalem, where he lived for 12 years, passed from Crete and Zakynthos to finally arrive in Kefalonia, where he died on August 15th, 1579. He was declared a saint in 1622.
For the first five years in Kefalonia, Saint Gerasimos lived in a cave in Lassi. The cave, which has natural daylight and a sea view, can be visited today. In 1560, the Saint founded a nunnery in the valley of Omala in central Kefalonia and called it the New Jerusalem. The monastery is situated under the imposing Mount Ainos and near the villages of Fragata and Valsamata. Today the monastery has been reconstructed. It is an impressive building accompanied by a newly built church.
The monastery is considered one of the most sacred pilgrimage places in Kefalonia, receiving a great number of visitors yearly. The Saint had also planted three plane trees, which are still preserved at the monastery, as are three wells that he is said to have dug with his hands. Visitors can also see his hermitage, accessible from inside the church. It consists of two underground rooms that can be reached by a narrow path and a staircase.
On August 16th, there is a grand litany for the commemoration of the Saint’s death, during which his sarcophagus is paraded and laid under the plane tree. He is also celebrated on October 20.
Saint Gerasimos was known for his miraculous abilities to cure people with mental illnesses. His miracles became widely known across the country, leading to the removal of his relics, which were found completely intact. Today, his relics are saved in a double glass reliquary placed above the saint’s tomb.
