Agios Dionysios -The Patron Saint of Zakynthos

Agios Dionysos is the patron saint of the beautiful island of Zakynthos. We celebrate his feast day twice a year. On the 17th December, the feast of his death, and the 24th August the celebration of the return of his remains to the island.

Agios Dionysios was born in Zakynthos in 1547, his parents were wealthy people who gave their son a full education. Including Greek Italian, Latin and ancient Greek. His passion was theology, when he was 20 years old his parents died and he gifted all his inheritance to his brother, and he became a monk on the small island of Strofades, to the south of Zakynthos.

In 1577 he became the Archbishop of Aegina island , two years later due to health problems, he resigned and returned to the island and to Anafonitria to be an abbott.

One rainy night a man came to the monastery and asked for help. The man had just committed a dreadful crime – he had committed a murder. Through his questions Dionysios found out that the man he had murdered was his own brother. The dead man’s family was searching for the man in front of him. Being the man he was, Dionysios, protected the murderer, and helped him escape to the neighbouring island of Kefalonia. Sending the police in the opposite direct when they arrived. The man later returned to Zakynthos and became a monk in the same monastery.

Dionysios was often visited by people wanting advice or asking his forgiveness for bad deeds. He died on 17th December 1622 aged 75 and was buried on the island of Strofades at his request. Three years later his body was dug up and his remains returned to Zakynthos. He can still be visited in the great church of his name in Zakynthos town. He became a saint in 1703.

Still to this day the Zakynthian people hold Agios Dionysios in high regard and he is believed to wander around the island protecting the faithful. So much so that his slippers need to be changed evey year as they have worn out! The new slippers are kept in his monastery in Anafonitria. When the old slippers are taken off they are cut into small pieces and given to the fauthful as ‘filakta’ protection.

Every year in the summer for the 5 days over his feast day there are church celebrations, with the army and the dignitaries . As well as the famous St Dionysios Bazaar. Stalls of clothes, books ,toys, tools, food etc are set up and a party atmosphere hangs in the air. On the evening of 24th August the whole island gathers in town to take part in the celebrations. The remains of Agios DIonysios are paraded around the town.

If you ever get to Zakynthos over the period of his feast day don’t miss the evening celebrations in Zakynthos town