George (Karslidis) of Drama

St. George (Karslidis) the New Confessor of Drama

Saint George (Karslidis) of Drama the Confessor (π. Γεώργιος Καρσλίδης ) was born in Georgia under the Soviet Union in 1901. During this time, his family was persecuted and he was left orphaned at three years of age. When he was six, he retreated into a cave filled with snow. He spent most of his later life in the village of Sipsa (now identified as Taxiarches) in Drama of Northern Greece, where he also established a small monastery there. He slept in the Lord November 4, 1959 and was canonised as a Saint into the Orthodox church November 2, 2008. The church commemorates his memory November 4.

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Quotes

• "If you pray without giving alms, your prayer is dead. Your hands should always be open. Give alms to orphans and widows. Alms and prayers go together."
• "Strive to intensify your faith, and during the Divine Liturgy be undistracted and attached to the celebration of the service so that you might be granted to behold the majesties of God."
• "Neither should wealth impress you, nor honor, but always walk justly. Eat your bread with your honorable sweat and not through unjust means. The things you gain honorably, do not squander aimlessly. Live honorably and humbly, and as much as possible extend your hands in charity.... Knock on the doors of the poor, the sick, the orphans. You should prefer the homes of the afflicted to the homes of the joyous. If you do good works, you will have a great reward from God."
• "Love all your fellow men, even your enemies. This is the most basic thing. Always love not only those who love us, but also those who hate us. Let us forgive them and love them all even if they have done us the greatest evil; then we are truly children of God. Then our own sins are also forgiven...Always preach love. This is the most basic law of God: love and love alone."

Further Reading

In Greek

• Μονάχος Μωϋσής Αγιορείτης «ο μακάριος Γέροντας Γεώργιος Καρσλίδης, 1901 - 1959» (original writing)
• Γ.Κ. Χατζοπούλου «Ο ΠΡΟΦΗΤΗΣ ΚΑΙ ΘΑΥΜΑΤΟΥΡΓΟΣ ΟΣΙΟΣ ΠΑΤΗΡ ΓΕΩΡΓΙΟΣ ΚΑΡΣΛΙΔΗΣ» των εκδόσεων «ΝΑΜΑ».

External links

In Greek

• Holy Metropolis of Drama Official Article on Elder George and the Monastery in Sipses (in Greek)
• Official homily of His Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholemew at the Vespers of St. George the New in Drama, November 1, 2008 (in Greek)
• BlogSpot dedication to the Saint, November 2 2008