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Elder Porphyrios

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Elder Porphyrios
Elder Porphyrios was an Athonite hieromonk known for his gifts of spiritual discernment. He was born in the little village of St. John Karystia, in the province of Evia. His parents, Leonidas and Eleni Bairaktaris (daughter of Antonios Lambrou), christened him Evangelos. He was fourth out of five siblings. Only his youngest sister is still alive and is a nun.
Elder Porphyrios became a monk at the age or fourteen of fifteen and was tonsured with his monastic name of Nikitas. He served in the skete of Kafsokalyvia, in the Cell of St. George, under two spiritual fathers: Fr. Panteimon and Fr. Ionnakios. Forced by pleurisy to depart the Holy Mountain, he returned to his birthplace, where he was unexpectedly elevated to the priesthood at the age of 21 by Porphyrios III, Archbishop of Mount Sinai and Raithu. With the outbreak of World War II he became a hospital chaplain in Athens, in which post he continued for three decades (1940-1970).
His later years were devoted to the construction of the Holy Convent of the Transfiguration of the Savior. After 1984 he returned to Mount Athos, occupying the same cell which he had earlier in life been forced to abandon.
Through his role as spiritual father, Elder Porphyrios became known to an ever-wider circle of Orthodox followers. Several compilations of stories and sayings attributed to him have been published.
He has left behind Elder Damaskinos, his disciple from 1969, who reviews much of the published works about the elder.

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