On Thursday, February 8, 2018, at 5:30 AM, the renowned elder and spiritual father Nektarios Vitalis, the elder of Saint Athanasius Monastery in Kouvaras, reposed in the Lord.
Elder Nektarios had been facing serious health problems lately, though he continued giving his blessing and counsel to hundreds of faithful daily. He was buried on February 9 at the Monastery of Saint Athanasius.
He was known for his simplicity and deep faith. From his childhood he suffered various illnesses, but always gave glory to God. Though he was physically sick, he was strong and healthy in spirit. Whatever he had he freely distributed, keeping for himself nothing. At the time of his repose, the room he lived in was filled with gifts from people all over the world, and money in all currencies could be found everywhere. These gifts he kept in order to distribute to those who needed them, and he never spent the money given to him so he could distribute to the needy. He would receive so much money and so many things, he could not keep up in his distribution and it was as if he was living in a storage room.
Fr. Nektarios guided thousands of souls who came to him from all over the world. His life was connected with Saint Nektarios of Aegina, who miraculously healed him of cancer in 1980. Read Fr. Nektarios’ account of the miracle on the website of the Mystagogy Resource Center. Upon news of his healing, the bells of the Shrine of Saint Nektarios in Kamariza, Attica, which was established by Elder Nektarios, began to joyously ring its bells.
Before this, in 1965, he suffered a stroke, and his situation was dire, but Saint Nektarios the Wonderworker granted him healing. As soon as he became well, he moved to Lavro. A short time later, he again saw Saint Nektarios in his sleep, who asked him to build his "house" in Kamariza, Lavro, and who informed him that he would help him.
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| Icon of St. Nektarios embracing and healing Fr. Nektarios Vitalis, along with the two women bearing witness to this to the left, and the doctors confirming the miracle to the right. The icon is from the Chapel of Saint Nektarios in Aretaieion Hospital. |
Several months ago, the Elder spoke the following words from his sickbed: “We all must spread Orthodoxy. Without Orthodoxy, we can’t do anything. We must not be traitors to our religion, to our faith. Saint Nektarios is an example for the whole world; they should be emulating him. Love is a great thing. God never turns anyone away. Our Lady intercedes before God. He is on our side and guides us, but we do not really love them — our God, our Panagia. In fact, we do nothing. It takes patience and prayer."
At the news of his repose, a short encomium was written by Mr. Manolis Melinos, who wrote several books on Saint Nektarios, his life and miracles, and especially came to know Elder Nektarios and recounted in writing the miracle of Saint Nektarios towards the Elder:
ELDER NEKTARIOS
The sweet, the simple, the father,
The brother, the fellow man,
The consoler, the humble one,
The child among children, the great one among the great, the elder among the elders, in other words, the child-elder, reposed today, February 8th, 2018 at the age of 88. Now he is an intercessor for us at the heavenly Altar, together with Saint Nektarios, near the Great High Priest Christ, Whom he had and never abandoned!
All of you and everyone knows my spiritual relationship with him for 33 years, and I am deeply thankful to God Who made me worthy to be near him and to write his biography.
Now, humanly, our large spiritual family is in mourning along with my biological family, and I unworthily entreat God to make him worthy to continue to pray on behalf of us. In the proper time, I will return to write more in detail, but I am compelled at least to write this.
Manolis Melinos,
orphaned of a "Father"
