Paternal Counsels Vol. 2 Father Philotheos Zervakos

Father Philotheos Zervakos was born in a small village of Sparti in the Peloponnese in 1884. He was a spiritual son of St Nektarios of Aegina. During the final years of the Ottoman occupation of Thessaloniki, Fr Philotheos was twice, imprisoned by the Turks.

When he was 18 years old, Fr Philotheos was inspired by the 54th Psalm to follow the monastic life so, with only a small gospel, a tunic and without shoes or any possessions, he left home. He was ordained a priest and became Abbot of the Monastery at Longovarda, Paros where he reposed in 1980.

During his lifetime, he built 12 churches, 2 monasteries, 3 cemeteries and 2 schools. He was considered a saint whilst alive and although he has not been officially canonised as a saint in the Church, many today consider him a saint.