Greek Orthodox Saint. Born Andreas Korkoliacos in the village of Petalidi, Messenia, after receiving his elementary education, seeking holy orders, he moved to Kalamata at the age of eighteen in order to further his studies. Receiving the religious name of Vissarion upon becoming a monk, he played an important role during the German occupation of Greece, during which he is reported to have helped many patriots and saved, through his personal interventions, various children who had been captured by the Germans. Entering the Monastery of Agathonos in 1955, he undertook the role of spiritual director of the monastery as well as of that of chaplain of the hospital of Lamia, which he visited twice a week. Known for his assistance to the poor, sick and destitute across the city and the surrounding villages, whom he visited constantly, he was above all, a deeply sought confessor. Serving as porter of the monastery in his later years, due to his worsening situation, in his last days he was transferred to the Sotiria Hospital in Athens where he succumbed to pulmonary oedema. The transfer of his body from the capital back to his monastery proved somewhat difficult due to heavy snowfall, yet for two whole days, people visited his remains incessantly notwithstanding the weather impediments. Again due to the snow, his body could not be buried in the cemetery reserved for monks and was therefore buried in the baptistery. There he remained until it was decided that the said area needed an upgrade as following a subsidence which occurred on the eastern side of the monastery, demolition was required prior to reconstruction with new supports. Therefore an exhumation of remains had to be done in order to proceed with the project. As soon as the tomb was opened in March 2006, the coffin appeared to be in excellent condition. Being taken to the cemetery, the monks opened the coffin in order to remove the bones, but upon removing the lid, his body in a remarkably preserved condition such that they described by a leading professor as "ready to talk to you". The event caused sensation across the whole of Greece, especially after the event was aired on local television. Although the Orthodox Church did not rush in any conclusions towards the monk's sanctity which immediately produced upon such a discovery, Vissarion was eventually canonized on June 14, 2022 by the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. The Orthodox Church celebrates his feast day on January 22.
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