Athonite Audio
YouTube
Metropolitan Neophytos Recalls the Life of Elder Iakovos Tsalikis of Evia (1920-1991)
29:12
What the video says
Metropolitan Neophytos of Morphou, a spiritual child of Elder Iakovos, recounts the elder's life in a text written in 1992, months after his repose. Iakovos Tsalikis was born in 1920 in Livisi Makri in Asia Minor and came as a refugee to northern Evia in 1922. His mother Theodora, whom he called an ascetic and his Gerondissa, taught him prayer and foresaw her own death.
As a boy he secretly prayed at a chapel of Saint Paraskevi, who appeared to him and promised to take care of his future, and villagers already called him Father Iakovos when he was about 15 because his prayers healed the sick. In 1952 he entered the dilapidated Monastery of Saint David in Evia, where he struggled in prayer for 39 years, secretly visiting the saint's cave cell at night, at times guided by a star and attacked by demons appearing as scorpions.
He became abbot and spiritual father in 1975, and the monastery became a pilgrimage site for all of Greece. He saw visions during the liturgy, including Archbishop Makarios III of Cyprus, whom he commemorated after death, and he had a direct bond with Saint David, whom he commanded to bring rain. He reposed on the feast of the Entrance of the Theotokos into the temple in 1991, and Elder Porphyrios called him one of the greatest saints of the century.
Key moments
- The text is by Metropolitan Neophytos of Morphou, written in 1992 a few months after the repose of Elder Iakovos of Evia (1920-1991), and is essentially the first published account of his life.
- Elder Iakovos was born in 1920 in Livisi Makri in Asia Minor; his mother Theodora prayed to the Panagia of Kykkos, and he inherited her love for Cyprus and the traditions of Asia Minor as a refugee in 1922.
- When refugee boats reached Piraeus in 1922, the passengers wept at hearing Greeks swearing with the names of Christ and the Panagia; the refugees carried a strict, monastic tradition, and Iakovos came from a family with seven generations of priests.
- As a boy he secretly prayed at a chapel of Saint Paraskevi, where the saint appeared to him; at his mother's instruction he asked her about his future, and she answered, 'I will take care of your future, a future that many will be envious of.'
- From about age 15 villagers called him Father Iakovos, a man of God; his prayers healed the sick and helped women in labor, and at 12 or 13 he read a prayer for a priest's wife who gave birth as soon as he left the room.
- In 1952 he entered the Monastery of Saint David, where Saint David met him and promised that if he kept poverty, virginity, and obedience, bishops would venerate him and wealth would pass before him without his holding on to it.
- He secretly went at night to pray in Saint David's cave cell; without a lantern he prayed for light, and a star went before him and rested on the cave, and on another night demons appeared as scorpions hanging from the ceiling until he called on Saint David.
- In 1975 he was appointed abbot and spiritual father; the monastery was restored and expanded, and pilgrims from all over Greece came to him, often finding that the clairvoyant elder spoke of their sins before they said anything.
Metropolitan Neophytos of Morphou, a spiritual child of Elder Iakovos Tsalikis, wrote this account of the elder's life in 1992, a few months after his repose, while he was still a deacon at the monastery of Saint George the Short in Larnaca, Cyprus. Published in the periodical "Orthodox Witness" of the "Friends of the Holy Mountain" society, it is essentially the first published text about the life of Elder Iakovos.
The account follows Iakovos from his childhood in Asia Minor to his decades at the Monastery of Saint David in Evia. Born in 1920 in Livisi Makri, he came as a refugee to northern Evia in 1922. His mother Theodora, whom he called an ascetic and his Gerondissa, taught him prayer and foresaw her own death; she prayed to the Panagia of Kykkos, and he inherited her love for Cyprus.
The family had seven generations of priests, and the refugees carried a strict, monastic tradition. As a boy he secretly prayed at a chapel of Saint Paraskevi, who appeared to him and promised to take care of his future. From about age 15 villagers called him Father Iakovos because his prayers healed the sick and helped women in labor.
In 1952 he entered the dilapidated Monastery of Saint David, where he struggled in prayer for 39 years. He secretly visited the saint's cave cell at night, at times guided by a star, and was attacked by demons appearing as scorpions. In 1975 he became abbot and spiritual father, and the monastery became a pilgrimage site for all of Greece, with pilgrims finding that the clairvoyant elder spoke of their sins before they said anything.
He saw visions during the liturgy, commemorated Archbishop Makarios III of Cyprus after his death, and commanded Saint David to bring rain. He reposed on the feast of the Entrance of the Theotokos into the temple in 1991, and Elder Porphyrios called him one of the greatest saints of the century.
Main points
- The text was written in 1992 by Metropolitan Neophytos of Morphou, a spiritual child of the elder, and is the first published account of his life.
- Iakovos was born in 1920 in Livisi Makri in Asia Minor, came as a refugee to Evia in 1922, and came from a family with seven generations of priests.
- As a boy he prayed at a chapel of Saint Paraskevi, who appeared to him and said, 'I will take care of your future, a future that many will be envious of.'
- From about age 15 villagers called him Father Iakovos; his prayers healed the sick and helped women in labor.
- In 1952 he entered the Monastery of Saint David, struggled there for 39 years, became abbot in 1975, and reposed in 1991; Elder Porphyrios called him one of the greatest saints of the century.