Westfield, New Jersey, September 20, 2024
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The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America’s Metropolis of New Jersey has been placed under the Heavenly protection of one of Greece’s great modern saints.
On September 9, Metropolitan Apostolos of New Jersey announced that the new patron is St. Iakovos of Evia, who reposed in the Lord in 1991 and was canonized by the Patriarchate of Constantinople in 2017.
As the hierarch notes, there are more than 300 miracles attributed to the great saint.
Met. Apostolos’ message includes a biography of the saint:
St. Iakovos of Evia was born on 5 November 1920 to pious parents in Asia Minor. Soon after he departed for Greece as a refugee, near Corinth. By the age of seven he had memorized the entire Divine Liturgy although he was illiterate. In 1927 he went to elementary school and was distinguished for his performance. Everyone knew of his love for the Church.
That same year Saint Paraskevi appeared to him and revealed his brilliant ecclesiastical future. In the coming years he would have many visions of various Saints. At this time, he was in continuous prayer and even reportedly healed people in his village. `From 1938 till the end of his life he lived in extreme asceticism, eating little, praying always, and working hard. He lost his mother in 1942 and was drafted into the army in 1947.
Upon his return from the army in 1949 his father passed away, leaving him to care for his sister, Anastasia until her marriage in 1952. At the age of 32 Iakovos became a novice monk at the Monastery of St. David in Evia and on December 19, 1952, he was ordained a priest by Metropolitan Gregory of Halkida. On June 25, 1975, he became Abbot of the Monastery. This monastery was quite dilapidated on his arrival and Father Iakovos lived in great poverty which affected his health. It was reported that he conversed personally with the saints including St. Paraskevi, St. John the Russian, and St. David of Evia, the patron saint of the monastery.
The Elder did not live for himself but from the fruit of his prayer and fasting he gave counsel and help to the people who began flocking to him. Despite many illnesses he always made time for the faithful who came to the monastery. Beginning in 1990 his health began to decline and on November 21, 1991, he aSended the Divine Liturgy, received Holy Communion, and heard the confessions of several people. He died peacefully later that day with thousands of people attending his funeral with many shouting “A saint! A saint!”
The Monastery of St. David has recorded over 300 testimonies of miraculous help connected with the prayers of the Elder Iakovos. On November 17, 2017, the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate canonized St. Iakovos of Evia, officially numbering him among the saints to be commemorated on November 22nd.
OrthoChristian recently published a three-part series on St. Iakovos, starting here.
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