A simple but deep spiritual bond connects Kythera with the Holy Lavra of Saint Sabbas the Sanctified, in the desert of Judea. This bond is not reflected in monuments or inscriptions, but in a person who lived in silence, with devotion and spiritual depth: the Archimandrite Seraphim Savvaitis, born in Travassarianika of Kythera, who lived in silence, with devotion and spiritual depth.
In 1932, at a young age, he joined the Holy Lavra of Saint Savvas, joining the brotherhood of one of the oldest monastic centres of Orthodoxy. Two years later he became a monk, and in 1939 he received the Great and Angelic Form, dedicating his life definitively to monastic practice and ministry.
His career culminated in 1957, when he was elected Abbot of Iera Lavra. From this position he served for decades under the spiritual jurisdiction of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem, making a decisive contribution to the preservation of the spiritual tradition and daily life of the historic monastery. He remained Abbot until his death in 2003, leaving behind a lasting imprint of humility, consistency and faithfulness.
Today, the memory of Archimandrite Seraphim is honored with respect by the fathers of Holy Lavra. In Kythera, however, the place of his birth, his life and spiritual legacy remain largely unknown. Yet his life is a quiet but essential bridge between the island and one of the most important places in the Orthodox monastic tradition.
Below we reprint a tribute from the website proskynitis.blogspot.com first published in the newspaper Orthodox Press on 07/02/03.
The Elder of the Desert Seraphim Savvaitis
Elder Seraphim the Saviour had simplicity, directness, goodness, holiness. He had the spirituality of a true Levite and throughout his life he was a tireless and silent worker of virtue, a modern hagiographical figure, a truly great Elder. I humbly bend my soul and heart and body to his eternal memory and pray that his departure to the heavenly Father may continue to guide us and intercede for us sinners.
When the Lord first led my steps to Lavra Sava the Consecrated, years ago, holy Fathers in Jerusalem had spoken to me earlier about her Spiritual Director, Elder Seraphim. They recommended that I meet him, get his blessing and if I could, of course, extract words of divine grace and divine wisdom from him.
I began, therefore, this little journey to the citadel of Orthodox Monasticism, which completed years of constant presence and contribution to the Church of Jerusalem and beyond, with many hidden hopes. The desert, since the early years of the Religion of Love, has always had spiritual ancestors, retreatants and ascetics, who marked the difficult years and guided and consolidated Christianity since St. Anthony and St. Euthymius, to St. Sava and John Damascene, but also to the modern Saints Fathers and Elders, Paisios, Porphyry and James Tsalikis.
The Holy Lavra of Sava the Sanctified, lying in the midst of crags of apostates and a nature of wild and desolate nature, from the 6th century until our days, is a model of exercise, monastic and contemplative life, a treasure of untold global recognition and respect for centuries. Its abbots and spiritual directors, from St. Sava himself, the pride of the monks, to the present-day elder Evdokimon, have been models of monastic devotion, which
were distinguished for their orthodox witness and their spiritual gifts. They spoke the word of God through their attitudes and works and became worthy followers of Him...
The Elder of the Desert, the Archimandrite and spiritual director, Fr.Seraphim of Kythera, I did not have the happiness to meet him during my first pilgrimage visit to Lavra.
I met him later in the village of the Shepherds, close to the Theotokos Bethlehem, at the place where the Praise of the Angels, the Glory in the Highest and Peace on Earth were heard...
From the very first moment, I saw in his serene face a serene figure, a spiritual giant, despite his small package, loaded with more than 9 decades of ascetic, strict living.
Immediately I saw his many gifts, his meekness, his love, his humility, his serenity and above all his simplicity and rigidity. Approaching the century of his earthly life, he had the traits of a Biblical Elder who had spent decades of practice and contemplation, close to great Sabbath Fathers such as Elder Panteleimon, who served as his spiritual father, the Archimandrite and Spiritual Father of Lavra, Savvas, the Archimandrite and Spiritual Father of Lavra, who was endowed with the gift of insight, but also the monk Anthony, the Russian and many others.
Coming from the poor island of Kythera and having Our Lady as his patroness, he came to the Holy Land from a young age as a thirsty deer and soon took up the monastic life, dedicating himself and joining the service of the Athonite Brotherhood and the blessed environment of the Church of Jerusalem.
Soon, as a young man, he was distinguished for his zeal, his obedience, his respect and his great religious devotion to the strict observance of the Holy Canons. Thus, his presence in Lavra of Sava the Consecrated began to spread throughout the Christian world and the respect for him continued to grow, winning even non-Orthodox, who went to Jerusalem or to Lavra. There are not a few chief priests and monks, university professors and priestly schools, Greeks and foreigners, but also thousands of ordinary pilgrims, who happened to meet the Elder of the Desert and become spiritually connected with him. His spiritual children can tell many stories confirming the truth of the word...
Elder Seraphim was a model of a monk and a contemporary spiritual man. He adhered with rigor and absolute precision to the Lavra Formula and cultivated virtue systematically and to a great extent. He fortified his heart in the Holy Faith of Christ and showed special respect for His Mother, the Immaculate Conception, whom he literally humbled and honoured.
Later, in 1957, after the death of Lavra's spiritual leader Savvas of Elasson, under difficult times and circumstances, he assumed the spiritual guidance of the Brotherhood of the Sabbath Fathers and took the lead during the Patriarchate of Benedict, in the return, in 1965 from Italy, of the holy tabernacle of the Saint and Protector of Savvas the Consecrated. The deceased old man became a model of ascetic perfection and a strict guardian of his duty, working with pain and effort.
The Elder offered many things to Lavra, but the village of Shepherds, the Arab inhabitants of the village, will always remember his benefits. Following the example of the Saint and Abbot of Savvas the Consecrated, he highlighted the pilgrimage of the Shepherds in Bechahour and in 1971 he began, after a patriarchal blessing and with his own expenses, the construction of a new church in this holy place, a part of Lavra, which today brightens the village of the Shepherds, dedicated to Our Lady.
In the last few years, due to constant health problems, because of old age, he stayed in the pilgrimage, but without enclosing St. Sava. There was no feast and no great feast in Lavra that he was absent and not present in the monastery's catholic, as well as during the last festive and anniversary three days of December 2002, praying together with his spiritual children on his wheelchair, brightening the Holy Masses.
I met the Elder occasionally in the pilgrimage of the Shepherds and in his humble cellar, I tried, beyond his blessing and blessing, to express my admiration and respect for him, drawing strength and paternal words of God's wisdom...
Elder Seraphim may not have had university degrees and titles in Theology, nor the Abrahamic stature to challenge and predispose the visitor-worshipper. He had, however, countless other gifts, first of all humility, which made him distinguished among the Holy Fathers. He had divine gifts and multiple divine blessings which the coming faithful could easily discern and see by approaching him. That is why the then Patriarch of Jerusalem, Ireneas, honoured him with the greatest honour of the Church of the Holy City. The blessed and late Elder flourished as a subordinate, as a retreatant, as a retreatant, as a priest, as a Prior and as a spiritual Father. The village of the Shepherds, Bechahur, could call him its national benefactor, for his unceasing offerings, for his love. The Elder was not just a Spiritualist who had the power of binding and loosening according to the command of our Lord. Most of all, he distinguished himself as a true and loving Father and Guide.
The problem of confession was for him not a simple process of a formal hearing and a forgiving wish. It was a real Calvary, which would lead to the Resurrection, when he managed to offer the coming believer repentance, sincerity and strength. As his spiritual children relate, he gathered and cooperated spiritually with those who came to him, asking for his blessing and his blessing.
The deceased Elder Seraphim the Saviour had simplicity, directness, goodness, holiness. He had the spirituality of a true Levite and throughout his life he was a tireless and silent worker of Virtue, a modern hagiographical figure, a truly great Elder. I humbly bow with my soul and heart to his eternal memory and pray that his recent departure to the heavenly Father may continue to guide us and intercede for us sinners. Honourable against the Lord is the death of this saint.
Short curriculum vitae
The blessed Elder Seraphim Savvaitis of Kythera was born in 1902, as mentioned in his passport, of poor parents. In April 1932 he came to the Holy Land and the Holy Lavra of Sava the Consecrated and immediately became a razor, by his elder and abbot of the monastery of Castellon Panteleimon Tsampira. On March 18, 1934 he became a minor monk (kurra) in the holy monastery of Castellia. On March 13, 1939 he became a monk at the Lavra of St. Savvas. On February 10, 1949, following a decision of the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, he is appointed commissioner and steward of the Holy Lavra of Sava the Consecrated, having previously distinguished himself for his love of the Monastery through his penance and his practice. On September 19, 1949 he was ordained a deacon at the Holy Sepulchre, by the Archpriest and Commissar of His Beatitude, Patriarch of Jerusalem, St. Sergius, Mr. Athenagoros. In December of the same year (1949), he was ordained a monk in the Holy Sepulchre by the then Archpriest of Eleutheropolis, Mr. Philotheos. On 22 December 1949, he celebrated his first liturgy at St. Savvas.
Since then and until 1957, it has been working uninterruptedly in the Lavra of Savvas the Sanctified. He also receives the officiate of Archimandrite, bearing the Cross of the martyrdom of our Lord scientifically. In 1957, after the death of the spiritual and abbot of Lavra, Savvas Archimandrite of Elasson and the decision of the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, he took over the spiritual and administrative reins of the monastery, which he retained until almost his death, assisted in the last years by the spiritual Archimandrite of Lavra, Archimandrite Fr.
The Elder Seraphim slept peacefully for the 102nd year of his earthly life in his cell in the pilgrimage of the Shepherds (a part of Lavra in the village of Shepherds near Bethlehem) at 8 o'clock in the morning of December 26, 2002 (N.January 8, 2003), the feast day of the shrine and before the Divine Liturgy was completed in the New Church which he himself built in this holy place at great expense and with much care. He was buried in Lavra Sava the Sanctified which he served for more than 70 years. May his memory be eternal.
