New Skete, Mt. Athos, April 8, 2024
A hand-painted icon of St. Joseph the Hesychast that can be purchased to help repair his tomb. Photo: gofundme.com
St. Joseph the Hesychast, the great Athonite elder of the 20th century, reposed in the Lord on August 15, 1959.
His disciples are largely responsible for the spiritual revitalization of the Holy Mountain, having repopulated several of the ruling monasteries. His disciple, Elder Ephraim, is also beloved as the founder of 17 monasteries throughout America and Canada.
Over the decades, the buildings at New Skete on Mt. Athos, where the saint spent the last years of his life and where he was buried, have deteriorated.
St. Joseph’s cracked tomb. Photo: gofundme.com
The tomb of the Elder’s tomb has also sustained damage. Two cracks have completely broken it into two pieces, and now the bottom part of the tomb can be lifted up and the inside of the tomb is visible. The second crack appeared recently, and it is feared that the cover will soon break into another piece.
With the blessing of Geronda Nikodemos, the abbot of New Skete, and Holy Archangels Greek Orthodox Monastery in Texas, one of the monasteries founded by Elder Ephraim, a fundraiser has been launched to help repair St. Joseph’s tomb.
One enough funds are raised, New Skete will start negotiating with skilled repairmen in Thessaloniki. $6,464 towards the $120,000 goal have been raised thus far.
Donations can be offered through GoFundMe, MoneyGram, or PayPal. You can also help repair the saint’s tomb by purchasing hand-painted icons from New Skete.
All the necessary information is given at the GoFundMe campaign dedicated to repairing St. Joseph’s tomb.
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