St. Gerasimos of Kefalonia: Monastery History, Relics, and Living Veneration

The Monastery of St. Gerasimos of Kefalonia lies in the Omala valley at the foot of Mount Ainos on the Greek island of Kefalonia. Its history is tied to St. Gerasimos, who arrived on the island in the mid-16th century. An older monastery dedicated to St. Mary of Jerusalem already stood on the site.

In 1561, the priest Georgios Valsamos granted the monastery and surrounding lands to Gerasimos. The saint restored the church and founded a women's monastery named New Jerusalem. The main church, dedicated to the Dormition of the Theotokos, houses the saint's relics in an adorned silver casket.

The old church preserves his hermitage, accessed through an opening in the floor. Monastic tradition holds that the plane trees growing in the courtyard were planted by the saint himself. His life was marked by prayer, fasting, asceticism, and care for those who sought spiritual comfort.

St. Gerasimos reposed on August 15, 1579. According to church tradition, his relics were found incorrupt and fragrant. October 20 commemorates the uncovering of his relics; on that day the relics are carried in a solemn procession, and faithful from various places come to venerate them and pray to the saint. The monastery remains a women's community where nuns continue the prayerful and liturgical life, caring for the shrine and pilgrims.

The text concludes with a prayer to St. Gerasimos for peace, health, strength in temptations, and a heart filled with faith, humility, and love. The accompanying video presents a Greek liturgical hymn that repeats the call to praise the Lord, the Lord of Hosts, and His mercy with the refrain 'alleluia' across three stanzas alternating between addressing the Lord and God. The post cites Religious Greece and Monastiria.gr as sources.