Saint Paisios

Synopsis

The story begins with the birth of Saint Paisios, born Arsenios Eznepidis, in Farasa, Cappadocia. Following the Treaty of Lausanne, his family is uprooted and forced to seek refuge in Greece. Young Arsenios grows up in Konitsa, Epirus, where his grandmother and mother instil in him their deep faith in Christ and love for others. Raised on stories of Saint Arsenios, he develops a strong desire to pursue monastic life from an early age.

In 1945, he joins the army, serving as a radio operator. After his discharge, he visits Mount Athos, but soon returns to Konitsa for family reasons and stays for three years. In March 1953, he leaves for Mount Athos for good and enters Esphigmenou Monastery. Three years later, he moves to Philotheou Monastery, where he takes his monastic vows and receives the name Paisios. He sends his mother a photograph of himself as a farewell, telling her that from now on, the Virgin Mary will be his mother.

From the mid-1950s until his death in 1994, thousands sought him out, attributing countless miracles to him. Canonized in 2015, he remains one of the most beloved modern saints of the Orthodox Church.