St. Dionysios of Zakynthos, the Bishop of Aegina

St. Dionysios of Zakynthos, the Bishop of Aegina - Commemorated December 17 (his repose) and August 24 (the transfer of his Relics) (source)

   
For a fuller life of this great Saint, see: http://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2009/12/saint-dionysios-of-zakynthos-1.html.
   
Saint Dionysius of Zakynthos, the Bishop of Aegina was born in 1547 on the island of Zakynthos. Though born into a noble family, he was determined to flee the world and set his mind upon heavenly things. He entered the monastery of Strophada, and after the prescribed time, he was clothed in the angelic schema by the abbot. Though young in years, he surpassed many of his elders in virtue, and was found worthy of ordination to the holy priesthood.

Although he protested his unworthiness, St Dionysius was consecrated Bishop of Aegina. In that office he never ceased to teach and admonish his flock, and many were drawn to him in order to profit from his wisdom. He feared the praise of men, lest he should fall into the sin of vainglory, so he resigned his See and returned to Zakynthos.

In 1579 the diocese of Zakynthos was widowed (when a bishop dies, his diocese is described as "widowed"), and Dionysius agreed to care for it until a new bishop could be elected. Then he fled from the worldly life which gave him no peace, and went to the Monastery of the Most Holy Theotokos Anaphonitria, twenty miles from the main village. 

St. Dionysios of Zakynthos (source)

 
A certain stranger murdered the saint's brother Constantine, an illustrious nobleman. Fearing his victim's relatives, the stranger, by chance or by God's will, sought refuge in the monastery where St Dionysius was the abbot. When the saint asked the fugitive why he was so frightened, he confessed his sin and revealed the name of the man he had murdered, asking to be protected from the family's vengeance. St Dionysius wept for his only brother, as was natural. Then he comforted the murderer and hid him, showing him great compassion and love.

Soon the saint's relatives came to the monastery with a group of armed men and told him what had happened. He pretended to know nothing about it. After weeping with them and trying to console them, he sent them off in the wrong direction. Then he told the murderer that he was the brother of the man he had killed. He admonished him as a father, and brought him to repentance. After forgiving him, St Dionysius brought him down to the shore and helped him to escape to another place in order to save his life. Because of the saint's Christ-like virtue, he was granted the gift of working miracles.

Icon depicting St. Dionysios forgiving and protecting his brother's murderer (source)

 
Having passed his life in holiness, St Dionysius reached a great age, then departed to the Lord on December 17, 1624.

The dormition of St. Dionysios of Zakynthos (source)

 
Not only are the saint's relics incorrupt, but he is also one of Greece's "walking saints" (St Gerasimus and St Spyridon are the others). He is said to leave his reliquary and walk about performing miracles for those who seek his aid. In fact, the soles of his slippers wear out and must be replaced with a new pair from time to time. The old slippers are cut up, and the pieces are distributed to pilgims. On August 24, we celebrate the Transfer of his Holy Relics. Through the prayers of Saint Dionysius, may Christ our God have mercy upon us and save us.
(source)
   

The holy, incorrupt and wonderworking Relic of St. Dionysios of Zakynthos (source)

 

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

St. Paisios on the incorrupt Relics of the Ionian

Sts. Spyridon of Corfu, Gerasimos of Cephalonia and Dionysios of Zakynthos, three great wonderworker of Christ  whose incorrupt Holy Bodies bless and protect the peoples of the Ionian (source)

   

Elder, could St. Spyridon have asked from God that his Relic remain incorrupt?

-No, how could that have happened? The Saints don't ask for such things. God willed that his Relic remain incorrupt in order to help people. And behold how God arranges things! Because Kerkyra (Corfu), Cephalonia and Zakynthos are near Italy, and that it would be easy for people to be seduced by Catholicism, He placed a great barrier there: St. Spyridon, St. Gerasimos and St. Dionysios.
 

Amateur translation from Source: Elder Paisios of the Holy Mountain, Words VI, On Prayer. The Holy Hesychasterion "St. John the Theologian", Souroti, Thessaloniki (http://vatopaidi.wordpress.com/2012/12/12/ο-γέροντας-παΐσιος-για-τον-άγιο-σπυρίδ/)

   

Sts. Spyridon, Gerasimos and Dionysios the Wonderworker (source)

      

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

Selected Miracles from the Life of St. Dionysios of Zakynthos

Icon of St. Dionysios Bishop of Aegina, the Wonderworker of Zakynthos - Commemorated on December 17th and August 24th (taken from: http://christopherklitou.com/icon_17_dec_dionysius_of_zakynthos_bishop_of_aegina.htm)

For the life of St. Dionysios Bishop of Aegina, the Wonderworker of Zakynthos, see: http://ionianvillage.org/saints/dionysios, http://ocafs.oca.org/FeastSaintsViewer.asp?SID=4&ID=1&FSID=103564, http://goarch.org/chapel/saints_view?contentid=342.
  
The following are a few miracles from the life of the Saint that don't appear in many of the hagiographies. They are amateur translations and summaries from the full life found in the service of the Saint in Greek here: http://voutsinasilias.blogspot.com/2008/12/17.html.

For a few miracles of the Saint after his death, see: http://full-of-grace-and-truth.blogspot.com/2009/08/transfer-of-relics-and-selected.html. 

May St. Dionysios intercede for us all and help us!
  
Selected Miracles from the Life of St. Dionysios of Zakynthos
One day the Saint wished to go from the monastery of Anaphonetrias to a place for some task, he said to his deacon Daniel [who was from Trikala of the Peloponese, and was ordained by the Saint and who remained in his synodeia] “get ready Daniel, let’s go to that place.” He replied, “Most-holy Despota, [Master: the traditional Orthodox greeting for a bishop] it looks like it is going to rain.” The Saint told him, “Let’s go to the glory of God, and don’t be an obstacle.” And after they had not gone too far from the monastery, it began to rain. The deacon said, “My Despota, didn’t I tell you it would rain? It’s better to turn back, because it is raining a lot and over-flowing.” But this man of God told him “Let’s go forward and nothing will happen to us.” And as the time passed, the rain increased even more. But O Your wonders O Lord! With all of the incredible rain, neither the archpriest’s nor the deacon’s clothes got soaked. And reaching a roaring river, over which they had to cross, and seeing it increased because of the rain that day, the deacon said to the Saint in wonder “and how, my Despota, will we now pass over this river?” Then the Saint with boldness replied, “Follow me in the name of Jesus Christ, and don’t hesitate at all.” The deacon therefore followed in obedience, and going forth from there [O paradoxical marvel] the current of the river stopped, raised up in one and another place, until the two passed over without their feet in any way touching rock. Then, the Saint seeing his deacon amazed by these incredible wonders, told him not to reveal this to anyone while the Saint lived. After the Saint’s death he revealed this clearly to the glory of God.

Reaching the place, at the Church of St. Nicholas, the Saint was to open a grave of strangers, as it was called, for there they buried strangers, for as this was part of the bishopric of Zakynthos, to bury another dead body. There they found the corpse of a woman, who had died a while back, who was not dissolved, with her clothes, for she died with the bond of misery or wretchedness [Note: most likely a ban because of sin or excommunication]. Her family went and fell at the feet of the Saint entreating him with tears to go to the above church of his bishopric to read the prayer of forgiveness for that wretched body, for the Lord wished to hear his request. The Saint felt compassion for their tears and when to that church in deep night, having with the Saint his synodeia and the deacon mentioned above, and the priest of that church, they brought the body into the church and held it upright in one of the stasidia of the church. Then he put on his epitrachelion and omophorion, and kneeling, he prayed for a long time, beseeching God to release the woman’s bond and dissolve her body, and reading the prayer of forgiveness. And the woman, as if alive, bowed her head as a sign of veneration towards the Saint, thankful for the great gift she had received, and fell to the ground, dissolved totally into dirt and bones. And as the Saint was humble-minded and a stranger to glory, he told all those present to not reveal this miracle to anyone alive.

The Saint did not only receive the gift of working wonders from God, but also the gift of discerning hidden sins, as occurred with a hieromonk who went to him for holy confession. He was a priest of Zakynthos named Pankratios Arvanitakis, who heard of the virtues of the Saint, his miraculous achievements and his life equal-to-the-angels, went one day to confess to him, and completing his confession, the Saint asked him if he could think of anything else to say. He replied that he couldn’t think of anything. The Saint said, “Look well my son, perhaps because of your heedlessness you forgot some sin and you will remain uncorrected. Therefore stop a minute, and think within yourself if you can remember another sin which you have done. For it definitely appears to me that you have not made a complete confession” The hieromonk sat, thinking for awhile, and then replied: “My Most-holy Despota, I can’t remember anything else, only grant me deliverance [i.e. read the prayer of forgiveness] that I might not try your archpriesthood any longer. Then the Saint, seeing how the confessee sought to leave without revealing the greatest of his sins which he had done as a man, said to him with austerity, “You don’t remember O wretched one, how you were liturgizing on that day in that church, and in your heedlessness and carelessness, let the precious pearl fall down?” Hearing this from the mouth of the Saint, the hieromonk, immediately remembered and was filled wholly with terror, amazed by the clairvoyance of the Saint, he saw how that offense was revealed, which man did not know, but the Saint with his his noetic spiritual thoughts knew, and falling at his feet poured forth tears of repentence, confessing the offense and seeking forgiveness. The spiritual father Dionysios, as an imitator of our most-sympathetic Jesus, accepted his repentence and correction, and he advised him to be careful from that point on, and said that he should liturgize the bloodless sacrifice with much fear and trembling, and with greater piety approach this heavenly King, to Whom even the Angels are unable to look upon. Wth guidances like these he granted him release, and sent him forth in peace.

(prayer at the end of the Synaxarion)

O most-honored Father and Archpriest of Christ Dionysios, to you we bend our nous and heart, and entreat you with reverence and with deep humility, accept the supplications and hymns which we offer to you, though they come from unworthy lips. Become a protector towards God, and most-fervent advocate, to all those who with unshakeable faith flee unto your sure support, and who celebrate with longing your all-festal memory. Especially we entreat you to protect and shelter your beloved homeland of Zakynthos, in which your thrice-holy Relic is located, which we radiantly and harmoniously celebrate out of debt. Dance, skip, and rejoice mystically on this glorious day of your incorruptible dormition, partaking of common joy all of his fellow citizens, made worthy in these last years, to give birth to such a patron and protector. Therefore in heaven and in your God-protected eparchy, Aegina of the Cyclades visit and help by your intercessions. Your royal and honored Monastery of Strophadon keep in harmony and true love, protecting the righteous ascetics who beseech the all-merficul God with your unassailable intercessions. Here then may we be delivered from every evil of soul and body, and after in the coming time, may we become partakers in the heavenly kingdom, which he was granted in Christ. Amen.

St. Dionysios of Zakynthos (Icon courtesy of www.eikonografos.com used with permission)

Apolytikion in the First Tone

The offspring of Zakynthos and bishop of Aegina, protector of Strophades Monastery, Saint Dionysios, O faithful, let us all with one accord now honor and sincerely cry to him: "By your fervant prayers save us who are observing your mem'ry and who cry to you: Glory to Christ who glorified you; glory to Him who made you marvelous; glory to Him who gave you to us as a sleepless advocate."

Kontakion in the Third Tone

On this day doth Zakynthos call all the faithful together, rousing them to offer praise in songs and hymns of thanksgiving to our great and fervent helper in needs and sorrows, who doth swiftly rescue them that are caught in perils. And she honoureth him, crying: O Dionysius, boast of the faithful, rejoice!

(taken from: http://goarch.org/chapel/saints_view?contentid=342)

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

The transfer of the relics and selected miracles of St. Dionysios of Zakynthos

The reliquary of St. Dionysios of Zakynthos (taken from: http://www.imzante.gr/eng/saint_dionysusen.html)

 
THE SIGNIFICANT FESTIVALS OF SAINT DIONYSUS OF ZAKYNTHOS
"Twice a year the Zakynthians honor their Protector Saint Dionysus. All devoted Orthodox Christians arrive at the church where their concentration is drawn to the Holy Body untouched by deterioration.
 
The first of the two festivals is held on the 24th of August in memory of the transportation of the Holy Body from the islands of Strofadia to Zakynthos, which happened in 1717. The second festival, which is held on the 17th of December, honors the memory of the place where Our Saint went to sleep in 1622. Both of these ceremonials receive unique glory every year and they last three days each, (23rd - 26th August and 16th - 19th of December).
 
The magnificence of the church rituals are always carried out in a characteristic musical church idiom of Zakynthos with the participation of the Archpriests, all the holy Clergy and thousands of people, leading to the remarkably exciting hours of processional chanting in town (evening on the 24th of August and morning of the 17th of December), where the hearts of the faithful shiver, their eyes fill with tears and they kneel in supplication in front of the Elder of Ammou, Father and Comforter of all who are in pain."
(taken from: http://www.imzante.gr/eng/saint_dionysusen.html)
   
"Not only are the saint's relics incorrupt, but he is also one of Greece's "walking saints" (St Gerasimus and St Spyridon are the others). He is said to leave his reliquary and walk about performing miracles for those who seek his aid. In fact, the soles of his slippers wear out and must be replaced with a new pair from time to time. The old slippers are cut up, and the pieces are distributed to pilgims. On August 24, we celebrate the Transfer of his Holy Relics. Through the prayers of Saint Dionysius, may Christ our God have mercy upon us and save us."
(taken from: http://ocafs.oca.org/FeastSaintsViewer.asp?SID=4&ID=1&FSID=103564; see the previous link or: http://goarch.org/chapel/saints/342 for a brief biography of the Saint)
 

Icon depicting the transfer of the Holy Relic of St. Dionysios to Zakynthos (source)

 
Selected miracles at the relics of St. Dionysios of Zakynthos (amateur translation)
-Towards the end of the 1970’s, a priest from another part of Greece, after many prayers and entreaties, managed to have a male child. But after three months his joy was overshadowed. A large tumor appeared suddenly in the child’s ear. The doctors could not do anything. They retreated then to Zakynthos, to the Monastery of the Saint. They performed all-night supplications and vigil. At the end, while the Monastery was closed for the visitors, the abbot opened the reliquary shrine of the Saint, uncovered up to the knees, and placed the naked feet of the Saint on the child for about ten minutes. Returning, they saw that the tumor had disappeared completely and the child is healthy until today.
 
-The hierarchical stole which the Saint is clothed in is the same which he wore during his burial. It has never been changed even once. In the 1970’s, a pious woman donated to the Monastery a new hierarchical stole, seeking to dress the Saint with it. The abbot of the monastery did not want to do so. The Bishop then asked him to fulfill the lady’s request. So one day, he placed the Saint on the Holy Altar and the Bishop began to undress the Saint. Two pins on the shoulders of the saint held on the stole. When the Bishop went to remove them, he pricked the Saint with the one accidentally. The Saint then, flinched, like we do when we are pricked. At that instant, those who were standing by were shaken, and the Bishop, the Abbot, monks all left.
(source)
   
“…If anyone visits the Church of the Saint on Zakynthos and draws near to venerate his sacred relic, they will note that he is dressed with the Hierarchical Stole, however, on his head instead of the Bishop’s Miter he wears a simple kalymmavcio with the epanokalymmavchou [the head coverings of a monk]. Many times the Fathers of the Monastery tried to remove the epanokalymmavcho and place there a miter, but the Saint however, did not allow this to be removed from his head. One time when the fathers tried very hard with a lot of strength and violence to remove it and replace it with a miter, the Saint allowed the skin of his head to tear a little on his forehead, and immediately there ran warm blood, at which time the fathers seeing this miracle were afraid, and seeking forgiveness from the Saint left him in peace wearing the epanokalymmaucho, a sign that the Saint judged and perceived his monastic identity, something which during the whole period of his life, his monastic disposition was that which informed his every decision, his every action, his every phrase…”
(source)
 

St. Dionysios of Zakynthos (source)

   

Apolytikion of St. Dionysios of Zakynthos in the First Tone
The offspring of Zakynthos and bishop of Aegina, protector of Strophades Monastery, Saint Dionysios, O faithful, let us all with one accord now honor and sincerely cry to him: "By your fervant prayers save us who are observing your mem'ry and who cry to you: Glory to Christ who glorified you; glory to Him who made you marvelous; glory to Him who gave you to us as a sleepless advocate.

(taken from: http://goarch.org/chapel/saints/342)
   

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