ST DIONYSIOS OF ZAKYNTHOS

The island of Zakynthos (or Zante), is an island on the Western part of Greece, in the Ionian Sea. The church dedicated to St Dionysios, is the biggest on the island and takes pride of place on the esplanade. St Dionysios is the patron saint protector of the island. The church was built in 1948 and it resisted the earthquake in 1953. Its steeple is very high and stands out among the different buildings recognisable as soon as you enter the port. Even if it hasn’t got any particular exterior characteristics, when entering you are impressed by the quantity of frescos, lamp holders and colours. Among the artists that contributed to the magnificence of this church there are the painter Doxaras and the chaser Bafas who engraved the silver reliquary in where there are the mortal remains of Saint Dionysios.

Saint Dionysios of Zakynthos was a 16th-century Orthodox Christian Archbishop of Aegina. He was born on the Greek island of Zakynthos in 1546. He is the patron saint of Zakynthos (sometimes called Zante in English) and is celebrated on August 24 and December 17. In his early life, Dionysios joined a monastery a few miles off the coast of Zakynthos. After a while living there, he was encouraged by his fellow monks to be ordained as a priest, which he did.

He eventually decided to travel to the Holy Land by way of Athens. After arriving in Athens, he was made Archbishop of Aigina despite personal protests in humility. In about the year 1589, the Patriarch of Constantinople made Archbishop Dionysios the Archbishop of Zakynthos, he stayed in this position until a permanent Archbishop arrived. After this, he returned to his island monastery where he lived out the rest of his life until his death on November 17, 1624.

This post is part of the Scenic Weekends meme,

and also part of the inSPIREd Sunday meme.