The process of canonizing Saints in the Orthodox Church does not begin in a Diocesan office, not in a meeting of bishops, nor among a gathering of learned theologians but begins “from the ground up” with the people of God.  They remember a holy man or woman who lived among them and was an example of Christian faith.  The people begin to  share sand write stories of that person’s devotion to Christ.   They visit and pray at their graves asking for their prayers before the throne of God.  Such is the story of Bishop Gerasimos of Abydos who devoted most of his episcopal ministry here in America and fell asleep in the Lord recently in 1995.  He is remembered by those who knew him for the holiness of his life, his dedication as a spiritual father to a generation of seminarians, priests and bishops.  While he has yet to be canonized as a saint, people pray at his grave near the chapel of Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Seminary in Massachusetts and icons depicting him can be found in several churches. 

Early Life

The future bishop was born Elias Papadopoulos in 1910 in a remote village in Greece to a father who was a shepherd and a mother who was illiterate.  His father initially was determined to see Elias become a priest but other members of the family opposed the idea and so Elias worked at various jobs:  grocery store, shoemaker, and metal forge.  But something was implanted in his soul when, during this time, he read the life of St. Alexis the Man of God, and went with a friend to a lecture by a visiting priest-monk.  A passion for his Orthodox Faith was ignited and for the first time in his life he approached the Sacrament of Confession.  While he continued working to earn his livelihood, he felt an increasing desire to somehow devote his life to serve God.  In 1928, at the age of 18 he left everything and everyone behind and entered the Monastery of Mega Spelaion.  Desiring a more intense, demanding form of the monastic life he left this monastery and journeyed to the Holy Mountain – Mount Athos – entering the Skete of St. Anna where he was tonsured a monk with the name “Gerasimos”.

Later in life he reflected that what he learned on the Holy Mountain remained with him for the rest of his life.  Gerasimos said he learned to simply believe and live the Faith in its fullness.  He remembered, despite his later, extensive education, to maintain the simple piety and faith of a simple monk or of his illiterate yet deeply believing mother.  Observing the devotion with which one of the monks lit the vigil lamps before the icons, he learned:

Profound theologies are good and so is asceticism,

 but sometimes one can discern a spirit of true devotion in the lighting of vigil lamps and candles, which certainly brings man closer to God.

 While he thrived in the monastery, living his Orthodox Faith to the fullest, he felt a burning desire to know his faith more deeply, to understand it better.  He prayed to the Panagia – the Theotokos – to guide him to ask the blessing of his elder to leave the monastery and seek a seminary education.   He later wrote:  “It was never a matter of getting a higher education…. I only wanted to learn, to become enlightened about the things I believe”. 

Seminary & Ordination

With the blessing of his elder, in 1934 he left the Holy Mountain of Athos and entered the Theological Seminary of Corinth and later the Theological School of Arta.  Despite his fear of his unworthiness, he was ordained a deacon on the Feast of the Holy Spirit, June 17, 1935 and a priest in May, 1941.  Desiring to go even deeper to the study of his faith, he entered the University of Athens School of Theology.  While many young seminarians and priests seek advanced degrees due to their pride and seeking the esteem of others, Father Gerasimos was indifferent to positions of authority or influence and remained in his heart a simple monk of Mt. Athos:  “I never thought about grades or diplomas.  The important thing was to penetrate more into the elements of my faith in Christ.”  During the harsh years of the German occupation beginning in 1942, he was appointed as the director of an orphanage, helping not only orphans but many to survive persecution and starvation. 

In 1945, he was appointed chancellor of the Metropolis of Corinth by Metropolitan Michael (later Archbishop of America).  He approached his administrative position in this way:

I always wanted to support and strengthen the position of our priests so that they could enjoy the appropriate recognition and respect from the people.  In particular, I struggled to bring peace among the priests whenever they had serious differences…I showed them love and patience and humility…

In 1947, he felt the finger of God pointing him in a new direction when he was assigned to be the parish priest in Munich, Germany.  Arriving in postwar Germany, he was met with poverty, crime, destruction and shortages of food.  Father Gerasimos said a typical dinner was a slice of dark bread with butter and half a tomato grown on the balcony of his apartment.  His parish consisted of only 15-20 families and for the first time he was immersed in a culture that was not predominately Orthodox.  Desiring to continue to “penetrate more into the elements of my faith in Christ” he learned German and began to study at the University of Munich. 

To America

In 1951, his former bishop – Metropolitan Michael – was now the Archbishop of America and invited his former chancellor to come to America where he appointed him Professor of New Testament and chaplain at Holy Cross Seminary near Boston.   “My appointment to the School was the best gift that I could ever ask from God.” It is remembered by many that he lived for his students who often filled his room in the evenings for discussions and debates.  In 1961 Archbishop Iakovos insisted to consecrate him as the bishop of Detroit.  He declined the position since it meant leaving his beloved students.  Instead, he was ordained as the bishop of Boston in 1962 and thus continued his ministry in forming future priests for America.  But the needs of the Church saw him accepting a position as the Bishop of Pittsburgh in 1967.  While he was loved by his people and priests, he felt unworthy of the difficult task of a bishop

“Administrative duties always wearied me….I made mistakes in my difficult task.  Certainly I did not offer as much as a bishop should, living in twentieth century America.  I hope the Lord will judge me according to the measure of my weaknesses…I always wanted to resign, to find peace, to study and perhaps to write.  However, the responsibilities of being a bishop did not leave me the necessary time.”

 Archbishop Iakovos accepted his desire to retire which was granted in July of 1977.  At a farewell banquet held in his honor at St. Nicholas Cathedral in Pittsburgh, he later reflected “I tried not to show my emotion.  But the pain of being separated from so many people that I loved and who loved me was truly great”.

His Humility

Now free from administrative duties, he yearned to return to his first love:  teaching seminarians, leading and guiding them as he lived among them.  But before he returned to Holy Cross Seminary, he made a return trip to Greece and to his former monastery on Mount Athos where a dramatic incident occurred.  It was an important feastday of the monastery and as a senior bishop of the Church, it was expected that Bishop Gerasimos would officiate at the Divine Liturgy.  However, many of the monks would not allow him to serve since he had trimmed his beard and his hair.  For a monk to cut his hair and beard is considered a scandal since it is a sign of pride as if the monk is trying to improve his appearance.  Bishop Gerasimos said nothing but humbly retreated to the back of the church and stood silently praying in the corner during the Divine Liturgy.  After the Liturgy concluded, a visiting monk who lived an ascetic life as a hermit, noticed the bishop standing alone and chastised the monks of the monastery:  “What have you done?  How could you?  All night long I could see over his head a light like a dove, while over your heads there appeared something like little devils!” 

Back to Boston

November, 1977 found Bishop Gerasimos back at his beloved seminary, not choosing to live in a nearby apartment or home but took up residence in a typical two-room student apartment, behind doors which he never locked.   He ate his meals in the school cafeteria, taking his tray and standing in line with the students.  He returned to his work as professor of theology, but more importantly, he became a spiritual father, an elder-an abba, and an example to the students and faculty.  While he possessed multiple college degrees, spoke several languages, wrote many books, he remained a simple monk.  A spiritual son reflected:

“He never offered me many or lofty words about prayer.  But he taught me and the entire academic community of Holy Cross School of Theology, the unceasing prayer of the heart with his life which radiated prayer…As a monk who loved the liturgical services, Bishop Gerasimos would come daily to his beloved chapel of the Holy Cross – unhindered by the weight of years, illness or unfavorable climactic conditions.  Thus, he taught us with his own asceticism never to abandon the work of prayer which is loved by God, never to find excuses ‘in our sinfulness’.  We would see him each morning and evening in the chapel often with raised hands, praying in his particular corner…”

 Another story was told of a little five-year old boy who came with his parents to the Holy Cross Chapel.  He excitedly told his mother:  “Mother, I want to come here for Church, where that elderly pappou is celebrating.”  “Why?”asked his mother?   “Because during the Liturgy I could see a beautiful light on his head.”

The “Wise Abba of America” fell asleep in the Lord on June 12, 1995 followed heart surgery in Boston.

It was the day after Pentecost, the day of the Holy Spirit, the same feastday on which he was ordained deacon in 1935.  After a funeral in the Holy Cross Seminary Chapel, he was laid to rest in a nearby cemetery but six months later his relics were returned and placed next to the seminary chapel. 

 Some Teachings of the Elder

“Christians live in the world and enjoy all the gifts of life in the name of God.  Their lives, however, do not depend upon the gifts of this world as much as they depend upon the personal relationship they have with God.  They live in the present life with the love of God and with the hope for a better life in the future together with Christ. “

“Holiness is, essentially, a separation of man from the desires of the world on one hands, and his total dedication to the service of the holy will of the holy God on the other.  The entire life of man is a spiritual struggle to be liberated from the desires of the world and to be dedicated to God.”

“Blessed are they who have not seen and yet believed,  (John 20:29)  that is, those who have believed without seeking logical proofs.  And these are the people who have experienced the love of God in Christ, who have believed and who live their life in Christ with peace and serenity and spiritual joy.  When we do not live according to the will of God, then it is difficult, impossible to believe.”

For further reading: 

Bishop Gerasimos of Abydos The Spiritual Elder of America
by Fr. Peter A. Chamberas
Holy Cross Orthodox Press

- Fr. Edward Pehanich