Saint Dionysios and the Strofathes

In the 16th century, while the Strofathes islands were flourishing, with the monastery of Sotiros (Jesus the Savior) being one of the most important in the Ionian Sea, they underwent a terrible attack by a group of Saracen pirates who killed all the monks living at the Monastery.

After that incident, few were the ones who accepted to go and stay there. Among them a young man from Zakynthos, Gradenigos Sigouros, the son of an aristocratic and wealthy family.

Gradenigos changed his name to Daniel and was ordained in 1568 when he went to the monastery on the Strofathes islands as a monk. On the island, he was ordained as a priest and 2 years after that he became the abbot of the monastery. In 1577 he was ordained Bishop of Aegina and he was renamed to Dionysius.

However, in 1579, he resigned in order to return to Zakynthos and follow an ascetic life.

On the 17th of December 1622 he departed this life having as a last wish to be buried at St. George chapel on the Strofathes islands, on the island where he was ordained a priest. Three years later, during his disinterment, his body was found unperishable.

Now, after a Turkish attack on the Strofathes islands when the saint’s hands were cut off by the Turks, his body is in Zakynthos, in a temple built in his honor.