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[[Image:Saint Savvas- Icon from his church.jpg|frame|right|Icon at the Entrance of his church in Kalymnos]][[Image:St. -Savas -the -New -icon.jpg|frame|right|First ever icon of Saint Savvas]]One of the newest contemporary saints of the Eastern Orthodox church, Saint '''Savvas of Kalymnos''' (also spelled known as Saint '''Savvasthe New''') is the patron [[patron saint]] of the Greek Island island of Kalymnos, where he lived during the last twenty years of his life as the [[priest]] and spiritual father of the nuns [[nun]]s of the Convent of All Saints. He was a great [[ascetic]], [[confessor]], [[iconographer ]], and [[wonder-worker|miracle-worker]]. He is one of the recently recognized saints [[saint]]s in the Greek Orthodox Church.

==Life==Saint Savas was born in 1862 in Eastern Thrace and was He died on [[baptizeApril 7]]d with the name , 1947, and his remains were exhumed 10 years later in 1957. The feasts dates of Vasilios. From a young age he had a calling for the holy monastic life and so he left for Mount Athos as a teen where he entered St. Anne's Skete. Along with 'Savvas the usual monastic dutiesNew of Kalymnos'' are celebrated on various dates in different traditions, he learned April 7 ([[March 25]] according to the [[iconographyOld Calendar]] ), and Byzantine musicthe fifth Sunday of [[Great Lent]] with St. [[Mary of Egypt]].

After a few years==Saint Savvas Life==Saint Savvas was born in 1862 in Herakleitsa, he traveled to Jerusalem for a pilgrimage to the holy sitesEastern Thrace, and there he entered the monastery only child of St. George HozevitouConstantinos and Smaragda, both devout people who were very poor. After a period of being a [[novice]], Upon his baptism he was [[tonsure]]d a [[monk]] and given the name of SavasVasilios.

In 1902, St. Savas was ordained As a young boy he had a calling for the [[deaconmonastic]] life and a year later secretly left without his parents knowing for [[Mount Athos]] at the age of twelve where he was ordained to the Holy Priesthoodentered [[St. Anne's Skete (Athos)|St. Anne's Skete]]. He spent almost 10 years in Along with the desert by the Jordan monastic duties, this is where he led an austere life and occupied himself with prayer and learned [[iconography. His dwelling consisted of two cells which he reached by ascending up a rope ladder. This isolation was necessary for successful inner concentration ]] and noetic prayer and he made great spiritual progress there[[Byzantine chant|Byzantine music]].

Due to health reasons and the political situation in Palestine which made life unsafe, St. Savvas returned He later traveled to Greece where he searched Jerusalem for a quiet place [[pilgrim]]age to continue his monastic lifethe holy sites. He traveled throughout Greece for three years but could not find a suitable place. His prayers were answered when another saint, St. Nektarios of Aegina, had asked St. Savas to come to the Holy Trinity Convent arrived in Aegina 1887 and serve as a priest for nuns. There he would also be able to teach them entered the sacred art [[monastery]] of iconography and Byzantine music. St. Savas stayed at the convent George Hozeva and lived there for six seventeen years, from 1919 until 1925. This time at the Convent was one of the most significant events as a hermit in the saint's life due to his association with St. Nektarios who was at the height of his spiritual development. St. Savvas had the opportunity to confess deserted and receive counsel from Strugged cliffs. Nektarios. The two had the highest esteem After serving for each other and each considered the other a saint. As period as a matter of fact[[novice]], St. Savas painted the first icon of St. Nektarios: One day St. Savas asked the Abbess not to let anyone disturb him for forty days, during which he remained confined to his cell. After 40 days, he came out of his cell holding an icon of St. Nektarios. He handed it to the Abbess and asked her to place it in the church for veneration. The Abbess was surprised since St. Nektarios had not been glorified ("canonized") as [[tonsure]]d a saint yet and she was afraid that the convent would get into trouble. Although the saint was always meek and humble, he insisted, and told her in a commanding manner: "You must show obedience. Take the icon and place it on the [[iconmonk]] stand, and do not scrutinize given the will of God." He knew the holiness and purity of St. Nektariosname ''Savvas''.

After In 1890, he joined the brotherhood of the [[Abbot]] Kallinikos (from Alatsata of Asia Minor) and in 1902 was [[ordination|ordained]] a [[deacon]]. In 1903, a year later, he was ordained to the holy priesthood by Archbishop Nikodemos from Diokesaria. He spent almost 10 years in the desert by the Jordan where he led an austere life and occupied himself with prayer and iconography. His dwelling consisted of two cells which he reached by ascending up a rope ladder. This isolation was necessary for successful inner concentration and noetic prayer and he made great spiritual progress there.[[Image:St-savvas2.jpg|frame|left|St. Nektarios reposedSava the New of Kalymnos]]Due to the irregularities caused by the raids of the Arabs in the Holy Land, more and more pilgrims would come health reasons, St Savvas was forced to leave. He returned to the convent due motherland (Greece) where he searched for a quiet place to continue his monastic struggle. Originally he was attracted to the island of [[Patmos]], where he lived for a while in the hermitage of Grava and later at the [[Monastery of St. John the growing reputation Theologian (Patmos, Greece)|Monastery of St. Nektarios as a miracle-workerJohn]]. <ref> This disrupted the quiet life that is verified by an inscription on an icon painted by St. Savas loved and so he departed Savvas himself at the monastery: "In the convent month of December in 19251914 this icon was painted by the hand of the iconographer, again for a quieter lifehieromonk Savvas the Hosevite." </ref>

StHe later traveled for three years, throughout Greece, looking for a suitable place to stay. Savas spent He visited Mount Athos, then the last years Monastery of his life as the priest Phaneromenis, then Salamina and spiritual father at finally the Convent island of All Saints on Hydra, but in 1919 he was invited to stay at the island of KalymnosAegina by St. As [[Nektarios of Aegina|Nektarios]], to serve as a confessorpriest at the Convent of the Holy Trinity, and stayed for six years at this convent (from 1919 until 1925). There he combined leniency with severitytaught the nuns the holy art of iconography and Byzantine music. He This period was lenient on certain sins and severe one of the most significant events in his biography due to othershis friendship with St. He remained an ardent Nektarios, who was at the height of his spiritual striver until development at this time. St Savvas had the end of life opportunity to confess and practiced extreme forms of self-restraint with regard to foodreceive counsel from the saint, drink and sleep. St. Savas became the two held each other in highest esteem and regarded each other a shining example of virtue to all who came into contact with himsaint. Many smelled a heavenly fragrance in his presence They were spiritual brothers and some even saw him rising above the ground as he stood at prayerbest of friends.

Towards St Savvas, the end clergyman who conducted the funeral service for Saint Nektarios, also painted the first [[icon]] of his life, the saint.:''One day St. Savas was in a state of intense prayer and holy contrition. For three days he did Savvas asked the [[abbess]] not receive to let anyone and disturb him for forty days, during which he gave remained confined to his last counsels: requested love cell in which the nuns could hear constant conversation (between the living saint and obedience in Christthe reposed saint). When After 40 days, he was on the point came out of death taking his last breath, suddenly he received strength, brought his blessed small hands together, and clapped them repeatedly saying his last holy words: "The Lord! The Lord! The Lord!"cell holding an icon of the saint. He went handed it to the Lord abbess and asked her to place it in 1948 on the eve of the feast of the Annunciationchurch for veneration. One nun saw the soul of the saint ascending in The abbess was surprised since Nektarios had not been formerly [[glorification|glorified]] ("canonized") as a golden cloud towards heaven. After about 10 years when the saint's grave , and was opened in accordance to afraid that the Greek Orthodox customconvent would get into trouble. Although Savvas was always meek and humble, he insisted, and told her in a heavenly fragrance emanated from commanding manner: "You must show obedience. Take the grave icon and this was witnessed by many, including place it on the local [[bishopiconostasis|icon stand]]. This was a testament to , and do not scrutinize the sanctity will of God." He knew the saint. Numerous miracles holiness and healings have since been attributed to purity of St. Savas the New of KalymnosNektarios.''

During the forty days he spent locked in the room where St Nektarios's tomb was, the nuns could hear two voices having conversations, and believed the second voice was that of the recently departed StNektarios, so the living and dead were having discussions. Soon after the repose of St. Nektarios, the number of pilgrims to the convent increased rapidly due to the growing reputation of the saint as a miracle-worker. This greatly disrupted the quiet life that Saint Savvas loved, and with the encouragement of the influential wealthy Kalymnian Gerasimos Zervos<ref> Gerasimos Zervos, the husband of Anna, who later became Sister Monica, who also went to Kalymnos. Savas </ref>, he departed in 1925 and went to the New island of Kalymnos is celebrated . There, he spent the last years of his life as the priest and spiritual father at the Convent of All Saints. As a [[confessor]], he combined leniency with severity. He was lenient on certain sins and severe to others. For him blasphemy against God and His saints was one of the greatest sins. He remained an ardent spiritual striver until the end of life and practiced extreme forms of self-restraint with regard to food, drink, and sleep. St. Savvas became a shining example of virtue to all who came into contact with him. Many smelled a heavenly fragrance in his presence and some even saw him rising above the ground as he stood at prayer. Towards the end of his life, St. Savvas remained in a state of intense prayer and holy contrition. For three days he did not receive anyone and he gave his last counsels, requesting love and obedience in Christ. When he was on the point of death taking his last breath, suddenly he received strength, brought his blessed small hands together, and clapped them repeatedly saying his last holy words: "The Lord! The Lord! The Lord," then he recited the hymn of the [[Annunciation]] which the nuns found odd as it was not the Annunciation with the new Gregorian calendar, but only did the nuns realise later that at that point those following the old Julian calendar were celebrating the vesperal feast for the Annunciation. Thus, he died on December [[April 7 ]]], 1947 (which was March 25 for the Old Calendar, the eve of the [[feast]] of the [[Annunciation]]. Upon closing his eyes, one of the nuns saw the soul of the saint ascending in a golden cloud towards heaven. After 10 years when the saint's grave was opened, a heavenly fragrance emanated from the grave which covered the whole island of Kalymnos, this phenomenon was witnessed by many, including the local [[bishop]] who upsettingly and initially refused to grant permission to the nuns to exhume his relics (when after three years of his death St Savvas miraculously appeared to the nuns ordering them to exhume him as the side of his head was getting wet being buried with his head at the base of a water deposit (''sterna'' in Greek) and only after following years of torment and dreams did the then-Bishop Isidoros believe and allowed his relics to be exhumed, finding his whole body incorrupt and intact apart from a small section on his skull where a patch of his skin deteriorated because of the water leaking on him&mdash;as the saint had said to the nuns! This was a testament to the sanctity of the saint. Numerous [[miracle]]s and healings have since been attributed to St. Savvas the New of Kalymnos. == Icons of the Saint's Life ==<small><gallery>Image:St Nectarios- Kimisi-close-up.jpg|Saint Savvas was the only clergyman to officiate at Saint Nectarios' funeral.Image:St_Savvas_of_Kalymnos-with_Icon6X4.jpg|Icon of the Saint holding the first icon of Saint Nectarios.Image:Saint Savvas- miracle in church.jpg|On many occasions Saint Savvas while liturgising was witnessed levtitating with a sacrificial Christ on the altar table.Image:Saint Savvas -teaching Nuns.jpg|Saint Savvas was also a great teacher of Orthodoxy. Teaching theology, iconography and Byzantine chant.Image:Saint Savvas Confessing.jpg|Saint Savvas was also a very discerning confessor. He was both lenient and severe when requiredImage:Saint Savvas giving child.jpg|Saint Savvas has been quite miraculous in granting childless couples children.Image:Saint Savvas Miracle at sea.jpg|Saint Savvas has saved many storm stricken vessels at sea, with only the mention of his name.Image:Saint Savvas miracle for Bishop.jpg|Here Saint Savvas cures monk Panteliemon Lambadarios (currently a bishop in Alexandria) of cancer, he's a well know healer of cancer.Image:Saint Savvas kimisi-2.jpg|The repose of Saint Savvas of Kalymnos on 7th April 1947 (Annunciation 25th March OC)Image:SAINT_SAVVAS_MIRACLE.JPG|X-ray of healed tumour by Saint Savvas of Kalymnos.</gallery></small> == Photographs of Saint's Monastery ==<small><gallery>Image:Saint Savvas Church-Mountain.jpg|Monastery of All Saints.Image:Saint Savvas- church.jpg|Church of Saint Savvas of KalymnosImage:Church entrance.jpg|Entry to churchImage:Saint Savvas Larnaca.jpg|Larnaca of Saint Savvas of KalymnosImage:Saint Savvas-Close-up.jpg|Close-up of saints relicsImage:Saint Savvas-tomb.jpg|Original burial place of St SavvasImage:Saint Savvas-entry to cell.jpg|Entry to Saints cellImage:Saint Savvas-room.jpg|Inside the Saints cellImage:Saint Savvas personal belongings.jpg|Some personal belongingsImage:Saint Savvas walking stick.jpg|Saints Walking stickImage:St Savvas Kalymnos-Sydney Church.jpg|St Savvas of Kalymnos Orthodox Church, Sydney. Australia</gallery></small> == Notes ==<small><references/></small> ==Hymns==[[Apolytikion]]:Let us faithful praise Holy Savas, the glory and protector of Kalymnos,:and peer of the Holy [[Ascetic]]s of old; :for he has been glorified resplendently as a servant of [[Christ]],:with the gift of working miracles, :and he bestows upon all God's grace and mercy. [[Kontakion]]:Today the island of the Kalymnians celebrates your holy memory with a rejoicing heart;:for it possesses as truly God-given wealth, :your sacred body that has been glorified by God, O Father Savas, :approaching which they receive health of both soul and body. [[Megalynarion]]:Rejoice, thou new star of the Church, :the offspring of Thrace and the 5th Sunday beauty of Great LentKalymnos,:O God-inspired Savas, fellow citizen of [[angel]]s and equal of all the saints.

*''Αγιος Σάββας ο Νέος'', revised and written by Fr Savas Pizanias (BTh, BEd) with the use and reference of St Savvas' original biography, Papanikolaou Eds. 1993.*''Modern Orthodox Saints '', Vol. 8 - St. Savvas the New , by Dr. Constantine Cavarnos, Institute for Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies. ISBN 0914744631*Photographs and icons courtesy of Fr Savas Pizanias and Constantine Vellis Cutie-Pie Photo Studio - NSW Australia contact - sales@cutiepiephoto.com.au*[http://www.stsavvaskalymnos.org St Savvas of Kalymnos Orthodox Church and Community - Syndey] ==External links==*[http://www.abbamoses.com/months/april.html Saint Savvas the New of Kalymnos (1947) (March 25 OC)] (under the entry for April 7)*[http://www.360cities.net/image/the-monastery-of-agios-savvas Virtual Tour of the Monastery of St. Savvas of Kalymnos in Greece]*[http://youtu.be/O9-faBf4ag4 Saint Savvas of Kalymnos - Ἁγιος Σἀββας ο εν Καλὐμνου] video slideshow [[Category:Featured Articles]][[Category:Athonite Fathers]][[Category:Iconographers]][[Category:Monastics]][[Category:Saints]][[Category:Greek Saints]][[Category:20th-century saints]][[Category:Wonderworkers]] [[ro:Sava cel Nou]]