On the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the martyrdom of Ecumenical Patriarch Gregory V (+ April 10, 1821) and following the proposals of the Metropolitans of Patras, Lefkada and Chios, the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece decided to include in the list of Saints the other seven Hierarchs who were hanged with him.
All together, fifty-one new Saints were proclaimed on 15 July 2021 by the Church of Greece, after a thorough study of the files submitted by the Metropolitans through the Synodal Committee for Nomocanonical and Dogmatic Issues.
The seven Hierarchs that were killed together with Patriarch Gregory V and are to be commemorated on April 10th are:
1. Metropolitan Eugenios of Anchialos
2. Metropolitan Joseph of Thessaloniki
3. Metropolitan Gregory of Derkoi
4. Metropolitan Dionysios of Ephesus
5. Metropolitan Dorotheos of Adrianople
6. Metropolitan Athanasios of Nicomedia
7. Metropolitan Ioannikios of Tornovo
Forty-three of the Saints were clergy, monastics and lay people who were martyred during the massacre on the island of Chios in 1822. This commemoration was especially proposed by Metropolitan Markos of Chios, and is to take place annually at the Metropolitan Church of Chios on the Sunday of the Paralytic. They are:
1. Hieromartyr Platon, Metropolitan of Chios
2. Archdeacon Makarios (Garris)
3. Priest Christophoros (Psomas)
4. Priest George (Fragkakis)
5. Priest Constantine (Kounoupas)
6. Priest Stamatios (Hartoularis)
7. Priest Michael (Tsouris)
8. Hieromonk Constantine (Pitikas)
9. Hieromonk Leontios (Michalakis)
10. Gregory (Bouros), Abbot of the Monastery of Nea Moni
11. Priest John (Kalamaris)
12. Priest John (Sideratos)
13. Kapitona, Abbot of the Monastery of Vretou
14. Serapion, Monk of the Monastery of Vretou
15. Karyona, Monk of the Monastery of Vretou
16. Kyrillos, Monk of the Monastery of Vretou
17. Seridos, Monk of the Monastery of Vretou
18. Samuel, Monk of the Monastery of Vretou
19. Anthimos, Monk of the Monastery of Vretou
20. Nikonas, Monk of the Monastery of Vretou
21. Serapion, Monk of the Monastery of Vretou
22. Germanos, Monk of the Monastery of Vretou
23. Priest John (Koufos)
24. Theodosios (Loufakis), Abbot of the Monastery of Saint Menas
25. Anthimos (Argentis), Abbot of the Monastery Moundon
26. Priest Theodoros (Roufakis)
27. Hierotheos (Aggelousis), Monk of the Monastery Moundon
28. John (Karmoiris)
29. John (Theotokas)
30. Priest George (Hautas)
31. Sophronios (Pagkalos), Abbot of Nea Moni
32. Hieromonk Theodosios (Koumakis)
33. Clement (Benetos), Hieromonk of Nea Moni
34. Priest and Preacher Iakovos (Mauros)
35. Priest Constantine (Marinakis)
36. Priest John (Kolovis)
37. Deacon John (Palavides)
38. Deacon George (Paulides)
39. Deacon George (Psirikoulis)
40. Constantine (Maurogenis), Monk of Nea Moni
41. Parthenios (Panteugenos)
42. Monk David
43. Nikephoros (Daskalakis)
At the proposal of Metropolitan George of Karpenisi, the Holy Synod also decided to canonize the wise Teacher of the Nation, the Priest Anastasios Gordios (+ 1729), to be commemorated on June 7th which was the day of his repose. He was distinguished for his holy life, but also for his contribution to the Church and in Education.
The Metropolitan of Karpenisi announced that from the first day he took office, the local community submitted the request for the canonization of Anastasios Gordios. He, however, was initially skeptical that there might be localistic reasons, but had asked for the data to be collected so that the file could be studied and submitted. After doing so, the Metropolitan confirmed the following:
"There are indeed hundreds of accounts of the Saint's miracles. And many of them are recent. People, nowadays, say that they have seen him liturgize inside the church, where his honorable head is kept, while there are many testimonies that the sick became well with the help of the Saint. The dossier was completed and submitted to the Synod in March, but the local community has been honoring him for years. His skull is fragrant. Indeed, whoever venerates it in the church realizes it. There are already several icons of him here, but also on Mount Athos, because for thousands of believers around the world he was already a Saint."
Metropolitan George further mentioned that last year an ill patient who was in the hospital in very critical condition, for whom the doctors did not give any hope, asked to venerate the head of the Saint. The priest of the village took it to the hospital and then the miracle happened. Very soon the patient became completely well.
At the same time, he announced that a famous couple, after years of childlessness, asked the Saint to give them a child. The Saint appeared and their wish came true.
"All these miracles show the truth and the holiness of man", the Hierarch pointed out, and further announced that there is the intention to build a church in the area that will be honored in the memory of the Saint. In his speech he asked the Saint to be the protector of all and guide us through these difficult years.
