[[Image:Saint Savvas- Icon from his church.jpg|frame|right|Icon at the Entrance of his church in Kalymnos]][[Image:St-Savas-the-New-icon.jpg|frame|right|St. Sava the New First ever icon of KalymnosSaint Savvas]]Our venerable and God-bearing father One of the newest contemporary saints of the Eastern Orthodox church, Saint '''Sava the NewSavvas of Kalymnos''' (also spelled known as Saint '''Savvasthe New'' or ''Savas'') 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 saints [[saint]]s in the Greek Orthodox Church.

He died on [[April 7]], 1947, and his remains were exhumed 10 years later in 1957. The feast feasts dates of St. Sava ''Savvas the New of Kalymnos is '' are celebrated on various dates in different traditions, including [[February 7]], [[April 7]] ([[March 25]] in according to the [[Old Calendar]]), [[December 5]] with St. [[Sabbas the Sanctified|Sava the Sanctified]], and the fifth Sunday of [[Great Lent]] with St. [[Mary of Egypt]].

==Saint Savvas Life==Saint Sava Savvas was born in 1862 in Herakleitsa, Eastern Thrace , the only child of Constantinos and Smaragda, both devout people who were very poor. Upon his baptism he was [[baptize]]d with given the name of Vasilios. From a young age he had a calling for the holy [[monastic]] life and so he left for [[Mount Athos]] as a teen where he entered [[St. Anne's Skete (Athos)|St. Anne's Skete]]. Along with the usual monastic duties, he learned [[iconography]] and [[Byzantine chant|Byzantine music]].

After As a few years, young boy he traveled to Jerusalem had a calling for a pilgrimage to the holy sites, [[monastic]] life and there he entered the secretly left without his parents knowing for [[monasteryMount Athos]] at the age of twelve where he entered [[St. George HozevitouAnne's Skete (Athos)|St. After a period of being a [[noviceAnne's Skete]]. Along with the monastic duties, this is where he was learned [[tonsureiconography]]d a and [[monkByzantine chant|Byzantine music]] and given the name of Sava.

In 1902, St. Sava was [[ordination|ordained]] He later traveled to Jerusalem for a [[deaconpilgrim]] and a year later he was ordained age to the holy priesthoodsites. He spent almost 10 arrived in 1887 and entered the [[monastery]] of St. George Hozeva and lived there for seventeen years as a hermit in the desert by the Jordan where he led an austere life and occupied himself with prayer deserted and iconographyrugged cliffs. His dwelling consisted of two cells which After serving for a period as a [[novice]], he reached by ascending up was [[tonsure]]d a rope ladder. This isolation was necessary for successful inner concentration [[monk]] and noetic prayer and he made great spiritual progress theregiven the name ''Savvas''.

In 1890, he joined the brotherhood of the [[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-Savas-the-Newsavvas2.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 and the political situation in Palestine which made life unsafe, StSavvas was forced to leave. Sava He returned to the motherland (Greece ) where he searched for a quiet place to continue his monastic life. He traveled throughout Greece for three years but could not find a suitable place. His prayers were answered when another saint, Ststruggle. Originally he was attracted to the island of [[Nektarios of AeginaPatmos]], had asked St. Sava to come to where he lived for a while in the Holy Trinity Convent in Aegina hermitage of Grava and serve as a priest for nuns. There he would also be able to teach them later at the sacred art [[Monastery of iconography and Byzantine music. St. Sava stayed at John the convent for six yearsTheologian (Patmos, from 1919 until 1925Greece)|Monastery of St. John]]. <ref> This time is verified by an inscription on an icon painted by St. Savvas himself at the Convent was one monastery: "In the month of the most significant events December in the saint's life due to his association with St. Nektarios who 1914 this icon was at painted by the height hand of his spiritual development. St. Sava had the opportunity to confess and receive counsel from St. Nektarios. The two had iconographer, hieromonk Savvas the highest esteem for each other and each considered the other a saint. Saint Savvas also conducted Saint Nektarios' funeral serviceHosevite." </ref>

As He later traveled for three years, throughout Greece, looking for a matter suitable place to stay. He visited Mount Athos, then the Monastery of Phaneromenis, then Salamina and finally the island of factHydra, but in 1919 he was invited to stay at the island of Aegina by St. Sava painted the first [[icon]] Nektarios of St. Aegina|Nektarios: One day St. Sava asked the [[abbess]] not , to let anyone disturb him serve as a priest at the Convent of the Holy Trinity, and stayed for forty days, during which six years at this convent (from 1919 until 1925). There he remained confined to his cell in which taught the nuns could hear constant conversation between the living Saint holy art of iconography and the reposed SaintByzantine music. After 40 days, he came out This period was one of the most significant events in his cell holding an icon of biography due to his friendship with St. Nektarios. He handed it to , who was at the abbess and asked her to place it in the church for venerationheight of his spiritual development at this time. The abbess was surprised since St. Nektarios Savvas had not been [[glorification|glorified]] ("canonized") as a saint yet, the opportunity to confess and she was afraid that the convent would get into trouble. Although receive counsel from the saint was always meek and humble, he insisted, and told her the two held each other in highest esteem and regarded each other a commanding manner: "You must show obediencesaint. Take the icon They were spiritual brothers and place it on the [[iconostasis|icon stand]], and do not scrutinize the will of God." He knew the holiness and purity best of St. Nektariosfriends.

After St Savvas, the clergyman who conducted the funeral service for Saint Nektarios, also painted the first [[icon]] of the saint.:''One day St. Nektarios Savvas asked the [[abbess]] not to let anyone disturb him for forty days, during which he remained confined to his cell in which the nuns could hear constant conversation (between the living saint and the reposedsaint). After 40 days, more and more pilgrims would come he came out of his cell holding an icon of the saint. He handed it to the convent due abbess and asked her to place it in the growing reputation of Stchurch for veneration. The abbess was surprised since Nektarios had not been formerly [[glorification|glorified]] ("canonized") as a miracle-worker. This disrupted saint, and was afraid that the quiet life that Stconvent would get into trouble. Sava lovedAlthough Savvas was always meek and humble, he insisted, and so he departed told her in a commanding manner: "You must show obedience. Take the icon and place it on the convent in 1925[[iconostasis|icon stand]], again for a quieter lifeand do not scrutinize the will of God." He knew the holiness and purity of St. Nektarios.''

St. Sava During the forty days he spent locked in the last years of his life as room where St Nektarios's tomb was, the priest nuns could hear two voices having conversations, and spiritual father at believed the Convent second voice was that of All Saints on the island of Kalymnos. As a [[confessor]]recently departed St Nektarios, he combined leniency with severity. He was lenient on certain sins and severe to others. He remained an ardent spiritual striver until so the end of life and practiced extreme forms of self-restraint with regard to food, drink, and sleep. St. Sava became a shining example of virtue to all who came into contact with him. Many smelled a heavenly fragrance in his presence living and some even saw him rising above the ground as he stood at prayerdead were having discussions.

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. Sava was Savvas 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 1948 Annunciation. Thus, he died on [[April 7]]], 1947 (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. Sava Savvas the New of Kalymnos. == Icons of the Saint's Life ==<small><gallery>Image:St Nectarios- Kimisi-close-up.jpg|Saint Savvas was the only clergyman to officiate at Saint Nectarios' funeral.Image:St_Savvas_of_Kalymnos-with_Icon6X4.jpg|Icon of the Saint holding the first icon of Saint Nectarios.Image:Saint Savvas- miracle in church.jpg|On many occasions Saint Savvas while liturgising was witnessed levtitating with a sacrificial Christ on the altar table.Image:Saint Savvas -teaching Nuns.jpg|Saint Savvas was also a great teacher of Orthodoxy. Teaching theology, iconography and Byzantine chant.Image:Saint Savvas Confessing.jpg|Saint Savvas was also a very discerning confessor. He was both lenient and severe when requiredImage:Saint Savvas giving child.jpg|Saint Savvas has been quite miraculous in granting childless couples children.Image:Saint Savvas Miracle at sea.jpg|Saint Savvas has saved many storm stricken vessels at sea, with only the mention of his name.Image:Saint Savvas miracle for Bishop.jpg|Here Saint Savvas cures monk Panteliemon Lambadarios (currently a bishop in Alexandria) of cancer, he's a well know healer of cancer.Image:Saint Savvas kimisi-2.jpg|The repose of Saint Savvas of Kalymnos on 7th April 1947 (Annunciation 25th March OC)Image:SAINT_SAVVAS_MIRACLE.JPG|X-ray of healed tumour by Saint Savvas of Kalymnos.</gallery></small> == Photographs of Saint's Monastery ==<small><gallery>Image:Saint Savvas Church-Mountain.jpg|Monastery of All Saints.Image:Saint Savvas- church.jpg|Church of Saint Savvas 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 Kalymnos Orthodox Church Banksia.jpg|St Savvas Kalymnos Orthodox Church Banksia.</gallery></small> == Notes ==<small><references/></small>

==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 and icons courtesy of Fr Savas Pizanias and Constantine Vellis Cutie-Pie Photo Studio - NSW Australia contact - sales@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)*[http://www.360cities.net/image/the-monastery-of-agios-savvas Virtual Tour of the Monastery of St. Savvas of Kalymnos in Greece]*[http://youtu.be/O9-faBf4ag4 Saint Savvas of Kalymnos - Ἁγιος Σἀββας ο εν Καλὐμνου] video slideshow