Patras, Greece, February 26, 2026
Photo: romfea.gr
Fr. Stephanos Anagnostopoulos, a contemporary neptic father of the Orthodox Church widely known in the English-speaking world for his books Experiences During the Divine Liturgy and The Jesus Prayer: For Those Living in the World, reposed in the Lord on Clean Tuesday, in Patras, Greece, at the age of 96, reports Romfea.
Following his repose, his body was transferred to the Church of the Dormition of the Theotokos in Paralia Patron, where a memorial service was celebrated by the Metropolitan of Patras.
His remains were then brought to Athens, to the Church of St. Barbara in Amfiali—where he had served for many years—and on the morning of Wednesday, February 25, Bishop Joseph of Proikonnisos celebrated the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts.
The funeral service for Fr. Stephanos began at 10:00 AM, led by His Eminence Metropolitan Seraphim of Piraeus, who delivered the eulogy, briefly recounting the life of the elder, highlighting his virtues, and calling on the faithful to follow his example.
Dozens of clergy were present, and the church was filled with faithful who had come from all parts of Greece to bid farewell to their spiritual father.
Following the service, his body was transferred to the Holy Monastery of Panagia Varnakova in Phokis, where he was buried.
May his memory be eternal!
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Fr. Stephanos was born in Drama, Macedonia, in 1930, to a Greek father and a Romanian mother. He completed his primary and secondary education in Drama, spending his childhood years in poverty and hardship. He served in the Greek army for 30 months as a reserve second lieutenant, after which he worked as an accountant.
In 1957, he married Eleni Liaskopoulou—later Nun Efraemia—from Thessaloniki, and together they had six daughters and one son.
Declining a significant scholarship to study classical vocal music in France, and sensing a priestly calling, he entered the Higher Ecclesiastical Seminary of Thessaloniki in 1958. He was ordained a deacon on August 22, 1959, and a priest on March 26, 1961, by the late Metropolitan Panteleimon Papageorgiou of Thessaloniki, and was appointed parish priest at the Church of St. Athanasios in Evosmos. In 1973 he studied at the Theological School of the University of Athens.
From 1962 he was spiritually connected with the late Elder Ephraim of Philotheou and Arizona, a bond that proved to be a defining moment in his life.
He served as a parish priest in the Holy Metropolis of Piraeus, at the churches of St. Basil in Piraeus and St. Barbara in Amfiali, Keratsini, where he ministered for many years. He received the dignity of Protopresbyter from the late Metropolitan Kallinikos Karousos of Piraeus.
In his priestly ministry he heard the confessions of thousands of Christians, preached the word of God, served as spiritual father to women’s sisterhoods, and authored dozens of theological books. He was later tonsured a monk by Elder Philotheos, Abbot of Karakallou Monastery on Mt. Athos.
In his final years, Fr. Stephanos lived in Patras, hosted by his spiritual children.
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