Saint George Karslides: New Confessor of Drama

The post recounts the life of Saint George Karslides, the New Confessor of Drama. Born Athanasios in 1901 in Argyroupolis, Pontos, he was orphaned as an infant and raised by his pious grandmother, who nurtured his love for the liturgical life. As a child tending sheep, he experienced visions that foretold his monastic calling.

He traveled to Georgia and was tonsured a monk in 1919 under the name Symeon. During communist persecutions, he was arrested, severely tortured, and sentenced to death by firing squad, but survived the execution attempt. He was ordained a priest in 1925, taking the name George. In 1929 he relocated to Greece and settled in the village of Taxiarches (Sipsa) near Drama, where he founded the Monastery of the Ascension of Christ.

The monastery became a spiritual center for the region. Father George lived a rigorous ascetic life, keeping daily vigils, eating wild greens, and wearing the same cassock for thirty years. He was known for spiritual gifts including clairvoyance, healing, and discernment of hearts. During World War II, Bulgarian occupation forces led him away to be executed, but they fled in panic after his calm prayer filled them with fear.

Witnesses also reported seeing him levitate during the Divine Liturgy. He predicted the exact day of his death and reposed peacefully on November 4, 1959, at age 58. His gravesite behind the monastery church became a major shrine where pilgrims continue to report miraculous healings.