Saint Savvas, greatascetic, icon painter, thaumaturge (he is believed to have healingpowers for any disease) and confessor, was born in 1862 inHerakleitsa in Eastern Thrace and his name was originally Vassilios.At the age of just twelve he felt ‘the vocation towards a monasticlife and ran away’ from the family to reach Mount Athos where heentered ‘St. Anna’s Skete and learned’ the art of iconography. Hethen left for Jerusalem on pilgrimage and in 1887 he retired for agood seventeen years in the San Giorgio Hozeva Monastery inabsolute solitude among the deserted cliffs. After his time as anovice he became a monk and changed his name to Savvas. For ten yearshe remained in the Jordanian desert leading a hermit’s life in a verysmall cell that to reach it you have to climb a rope but it serveshim to develop a strong inner concentration. Following the diatribesof the Arabs in the Holy Land he had to leave and chose to return toGreece. At first he moved to Patmos in the Monastery of San Giovanni,to then move again to Mount Athos, to Evia where he remained with SanNektarios for six years as a servant of the priest and where hepainted the first icon dedicated to the saint. In 1925 he arrived inKalymnos where he spent the last years of his life as spiritualfather of the All Saints Convent. He died on April 7, 1947 and thelegend says that as soon as he closed his eyes one of the nuns sawhis soul rise to heaven above a golden cloud. He is one of the fewsaints recently recognized by the Orthodox Church.

The convent was foundedat the end of the 20th century by the monk Hierotheos Kounounis. Manycouples go to this sacred place as it is believed that San Savass isable to work miracles and help couples who have difficulty havingchildren. The Monastery is made up of various buildings and chapelsas well as a congress centre, a well-stocked library and a museumwith sacred icons painted by him. The church inside is finelydecorated from floor to ceiling. There are two prayer rooms wheredevotees can retreat to ask for help from the Saint. To this day thenuns still live but in the old part of the monastery.

There are very strictrules to enter to visit, decent clothing is required which consistsof skirts and long sleeves for women while trousers and long sleevesfor men. Impossible not to notice the Agios Savvas Monastery,outside there is a huge cross which is visible from the city andwhich lights up blue at night. In the Monastery of All Saints (AgioiPantes) the silver coffin where rests Agios Savvas is kept.

On the Fifth Sunday of Lent,two weeks before Easter and on December 5th, there are celebrationsin his honor.

Reaching the Agios Savvas Monastery is very easy, you can go there either with your ownvehicle following the road signs from Pothia, or with the public busbut always pay attention to the timetables or the best solution is onfoot so you can enjoy all the wonderful landscape .

A stop to be includedamong the things to see and do in Kalymnos both for a spiritualmoment and to enjoy a fairytale view of the island.