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Our venerable and God-bearing father One of the newest contemporary saints of the Eastern Orthodox church, Saint '''Savvas of Kalymnos''' (also known as Saint '''Savvas the New''') is the [[patron saint]] of the Greek island of Kalymnos (Calymna), where he lived during the last twenty years of his life as the [[priest]] and spiritual father of the [[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 [[saint]]s in the Greek Orthodox Church.

He died on [[April 7]], 1947 , and his remains were exhumed 10 years later in 1957 and "miracles happen for those who venerate these in faith". In Kalymnos, he is commemorated by the church [[April 7]]. The feasts dates of St. ''Savvas the New of Kalymnos'' are celebrated on various dates in different traditions, [[April 7]] ([[March 25]] in according to the [[Old Calendar]]), [[December 5]] with St. [[Sabbas the Sanctified|Sabbas the Sanctified]], and the fifth Sunday of [[Great Lent]] with St. [[Mary of Egypt]].

==Saint Savvas Life==Saint Savvas was born in 1862 in Herakleitsa, Eastern Thrace to Constantine , the only child of Constantinos and Smaragda, both devout people who were very poor and he was their only son. When he was [[baptize]]d Upon his baptism he was given the name Vasilios.

From As a young age boy he had a calling for the holy [[monastic]] life and secretely secretly left without his parents knowing for [[Mount Athos]] at the age of twelve where he entered [[St. Anne's Skete (Athos)|St. Anne's Skete]]. Along with the usual monastic duties, this is where he learned [[iconography]] and [[Byzantine chant|Byzantine music]].

After twelve years, he He later traveled to Jerusalem for a pilgrimage [[pilgrim]]age to the holy sites. He arrived in 1887 and entered the [[monastery]] of St. George Hozevitou Hozeva and lived there for seventeen years as a hermit in the deserted and rugged cliffs. After serving for a period as a [[novice]], he was [[tonsure]]d a [[monk]] and given the name ''SavaSavvas''.

In 1890, he joined the brotherhood of the Abbott [[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. Sava the New of Kalymnos]]Due to the irregularities caused by the raids of the Arabs in the Holy Land, and health reasons, St Savvas was forced to leave. He returned to the 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 Theologian (Patmos, Greece)|Monastery of St. John]]. <ref> This is verified by an inscription on an icon painted by St. Savvas himself at the monastery: "In the month of December in 1914 this icon was painted by the hand of the iconographer, hieromonk Savvas the Hosevite." </ref>

[[Image:St-Savas-the-New.jpg|frame|left|St. Sava the New of Kalymnos]]Due to the irregularities caused by the raids of the Arabs in the Holy LandHe later traveled for three years, and health reasonsthroughout Greece, Sava was forced to leave. He returned to Greece where he searched looking for a quiet suitable place to continue his monastic lifestay. He visited Mount Athos, then the Monastery of Phaneromenis, then Salamina and finally the island of Hydra, but in 1919 he was attracted invited to stay at the island of Aegina by St. [[PatmosNektarios of Aegina|Nektarios]], where he lived for to serve as a while in priest at the hermitage Convent of Grava the Holy Trinity, and later stayed for six years at this convent (from 1919 until 1925). There he taught the [[Monastery of St. John nuns the Theologian (Patmos, Greece)|Monastery holy art of St. John]]iconography and Byzantine music. <ref> This is verified by an inscription on an icon painted by period was one of the most significant events in his biography due to his friendship with St. Sava Nektarios, who was at the monastery "In the month height of December in 1914 his spiritual development at this icon was painted by time. St Savvas had the hand of opportunity to confess and receive counsel from the iconographersaint, holy monk Savvas and the two held each other in highest esteem and regarded each other a saint. They were spiritual brothers and the Hosevitebest of friends." </ref>

He later traveled St Savvas, the clergyman who conducted the funeral service for three yearsSaint Nektarios, throughout Greece, looking for a suitable place to stayalso painted the first [[icon]] of the saint.:''One day St. He visited Savvas asked the [[Mount Athosabbess]]not to let anyone disturb him for forty days, then during which he remained confined to his cell in which the Monastery of Phaneromenis, then Salamina nuns could hear constant conversation (between the living saint and finaly the island of Hydra but in 1919reposed saint). After 40 days, he was invited came out of his cell holding an icon of the saint. He handed it to the abbess and asked her to stay at place it in the Greek island of Aegina, by Stchurch for veneration. The abbess was surprised since Nektarios had not been formerly [[Nektarios of Aeginaglorification|Nektariosglorified]], to serve ("canonized") as a priest at the Convent of the Holy Trinitysaint, and stayed for six years at this was afraid that the convent (from 1919 until 1925)would get into trouble. There Although Savvas was always meek and humble, he taught the nuns the sacred art of iconography insisted, and Byzantine music. This period was one of the most significant events told her in his biography due to his friendship with Sta commanding manner: "You must show obedience. Nektarios; who was at Take the height of his spiritual development at this time. Sava had icon and place it on the opportunity to confess [[iconostasis|icon stand]], and receive counsel from do not scrutinize the saint and will of God." He knew the two held each other in high esteem holiness and considered each a saintpurity of St. Nektarios. ''

Savvas conducted During the funeral service for Saint Nektarios and is also renowed for painting the first [[icon]] of the saint.:''One day St. Savvas asked the [[abbess]] not to let anyone disturb him for forty days, during which he remained confined to his cell spent locked in which the room where St Nektarios's tomb was, the nuns could hear constant conversation (between the living Saint and the reposed Saint). After 40 daystwo voices having conversations, he came out of his cell holding an icon of the saint. He handed it to the abbess and asked her to place it in believed the church for veneration. The abbess was surprised since Nektarios had not been formerly [[glorification|glorified]] ("canonized") as a saint, and second voice was afraid that of the convent would get into trouble. Although Savvas was always meek and humble, he insistedrecently departed St Nektarios, and told her in a commanding manner: "You must show obedience. Take so the icon and place it on the [[iconostasis|icon stand]], living and do not scrutinize the will of Goddead were having discussions." He knew the holiness and purity of St. Nektarios.''

After 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. </ref>, he departed in 1925 and went to the island of Kalymnos.

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 was remained in a state of intense prayer and holy contrition. For three days he did not receive anyone and he gave his last counsels: requested , 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!," He went to 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 Lord in Annunciation. Thus, he died on [[April 7]]], 1947 on (which was March 25 for the Old Calendar, the eve of the [[feast]] of the [[Annunciation]]. One nun Upon closing his eyes, one of the nuns saw the soul of the saint ascending in a golden cloud towards heaven. After about 10 years when the saint's grave was opened in accordance to the Greek Orthodox custom, 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 Saints Life ==

Image:Saint Savvas Church-Mountain.jpg|Monastery of All Saints.Image:Saint Savvas- church.jpg|On many occasions Church of Saint Savvas while liturgising was witnessed levtitating with a sacrificial Christ on the altar table.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_316_Banksia.jpg|St Savvas of Kalymnos Orthodox Church, Sydney. Australia

==SourceSources==*''Αγιος Σάββας ο Νέος'', revised and written by Fr Savas Pizanias JP (BTh, BEd) with the use and reference of St Savvas' original biography, Papanikolaou Eds. 1993.*''Modern Orthodox Saints'', Vol. 8. "[http://www.panagiavlahernon.org/st-savvas.html St. Savvas the New]" , by Dr. Constantine Cavarnos, Institute for Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies . ISBN 0914744631*Photographs & Icons and icons courtesy of Fr Savas Pizanias and Constantine Vellis Cutie-Pie Photography Photo Studio - NSW Australia contact - infosales@cutiepiephoto.com.au*[http://www.stsavvaskalymnos.org St Savvas of Kalymnos Orthodox Church and Community - Syndey]

*[http://www.koel-art.com/pics/byz3/45-3.jpg Icon of St. Savas of Kalymnos]*[http://www.abbamoses.com/months/april.html Saint Savvas the New of Kalymnos (19481947) (March 25 OC)] (under the entry for April 7)