St. Makarios Kalogeras, Founder of the Patmias School of Patmos

St. Makarios Kalogeras, Founder of the Patmias School of Patmos - Commemorated on January 19th (http://www.patmosmonastery.gr/makarios.html)

St. Makarios Kalogeras, the Teacher-of-the-Nation was born on Patmos in 1688, and was from a wealthy family. Later he went to Constantinople for studies and came into contact with noteworthy families and clerics of the Queen City. After many years of study he became a Deacon with the Metropolitan of Nikomedia. As St. Makarios placed great significance on the teaching and raising of the Greeks under oppression of the Turks, he returned to Patmos, and in 1713 he founded the Patmias School. The lessons at the school were offered free to all students and in the beginning St. Makarios taught by himself. After a few years, the best students were selected as teachers of the school. These students were from Patmos and other areas under the Ottoman empire. His chief co-workers were monk Kosmas from Lemno and St. Gerasimos the Byzantine. The number of students increased to 100, and because of this they thought there was a need to create more buildings, which occurred through the help of generous gifts from Constantinople. The Patmias School became one of the most significant schools of Hellenism. St. Makarios, who was weakened by an infection, fell asleep on Patmos in 1737. But his name lives on through his intense activities and his work. His Priesthood [Sacred Service] was never beyond the depth of a Deacon, because he was much more pleased, as he said himself, to serve instead of being served.
(amateur translation of the Greek text here: http://www.patmosmonastery.gr/makarios.html; for a more in-depth life of the Saint in Greek, see: http://patmias.powweb.com/pdf_arxeia/Agios_Makarios.pdf)

St. Makarios from the island of Patmos (http://www.patmosweb.gr/en/patmias.asp)

Capitulary School of Patmos "Patmias"
"The foundation of the Patmian School "The common school of the nation" is the most important issue of the history of Patmos in the 18th century. With Constantinople as its centre, the scholars of the nation prepared teachers who would go to different parts of the enslaved Hellas to create schools for the Hellenic letters and awaken the will for liberation!

One of these enthusiastic and faithful teachers was the founder of the great School of Patmos, [St.] Makarios Kalogeras from Patmos.

Makarios studied theology and philosophy at the Patriarchal School of Constantinople. He was supported by many well-known families such as the families of Mavrokordatos, Ipsilantis, as well as the Metropolitan bishop of Nicomedia, who saw him as his successor. However, Makarios loved his teaching and he returned to Patmos in 1713 and created the School in the Cave of Apocalypse! His consultants and supporters were scholars of the nation and Emanuel Ipsilantis, was one who supported the project financially. He built a few cells there for himself and his few students. The reputation of the School began to spread and very soon there were students arriving not only from the neighbouring islands, but also from Peloponnese, Athens, Bucharest, Asia Minor and Russia! These crowds of students arriving, forced Emanuel Ipsilantis to build more cells. At the beginning, Makarios taught by himself. However, soon he began to receive help from his senior students. His student Gerassimos Bysantios became his friend and co-operator, who continued the work after 1737, when Makarios died.

The course of the School of Patmos was extremely hard in the years to come. From 1902 it began to operate as a hieratic school and in 1907 it was forced to move to Samos due to financial problems. In Samos it continued to operate successfully only for a few years and it later closed down. Its activity continued after the liberation of the island in 1947. This is when it was rebuilt on our island [Patmos], only a few meters away from its old location.
(http://www.patmosweb.gr/en/patmias.asp)

The Skull of St. Makarios Kalogeras in the chapel of the Patmias School for the feast(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_4t2FVNRKEe0/S1bRnT09xiI/AAAAAAAAA5Q/4CfaliyYLBQ/s1600-h/DSC01323.JPG)

For one of the writings of St. Makarios, "Evangeliki Salpynx" (in Greek), see: http://patmias.powweb.com/pdf_arxeia/evageliki_salpigx.pdf.

The Patmias School remains one of the greatest ecclesiastical schools in Greece. Many hierarchs and theologians throughout the world have come from their ranks. For more information on the Patmias School, see their websites (Greek): http://patmias.powweb.com/, http://patmias.blogspot.com/.

May. St. Makarios intercede for us all!

The Icon and Skull of St. Makarios Kalogeras, being kept between the two chapels in the Cave of the Apocalypse on Patmos. (taken from a 360 Panorama of the Cave: http://www.360cities.net/image/cave-of-the-apocalypse-patmos-greece; also see: http://full-of-grace-and-truth.blogspot.com/2009/09/translation-of-st-john-theologian.html)

(http://www.patmosmonastery.gr/hmerologio%202009.pdf)

Apolytikion of St. Makarios Kalogeras in the First Tone (amateur translation)
The pride of teachers, and the boast of Deacons, and the glory of the island of Patmos and the adornment of monastics, let us honor Makarios O faithful in hymns and spiritual odes, towards him in reverence harmonically saying and crying out, Glory to Christ Who glorified you, Glory to Him Who magnified you, Glory Who showed you forth as our protector in these last days.

Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us! Amen!