Saint Vissarion of the Agathonos

Vissarion of the Agathonos (Greek: Άγιος Βησσαρίων ο Αγαθωνίτης), secular name: Andreas Korkoliakos (Greek: Ανδρέας Κορκολιάκος; 1908–22 January 1991), was a Greek Orthodox monk and Saint of the Agathonos Monastery, close to Lamia, Central Greece. He became a monk in his teen years and was regarded by those who knew him as an especially good-hearted cleric with humanitarian spirit. Venerable Elder Vissarion was canonized on 14 June 2022 by the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, and the church commemorates his feast day on January 22. Vissarion (Bessarion) became famous after the opening of his tomb in March 2006, during which Monks and coroners found his body in pristine condition. The event caused sensation and amazement not only in the local prefecture of Phthiotida but also to the whole of Greece, especially after exposure of the event on Greek television. The relics of Vissarion were inspected for first time by the retired professor and famous Athens coroner Panayiotis Yamarelos, who spoke on television about an extraordinary and inexplicable event. More specifically, the phrases of Yamarelos about Vissarion's extremely well preserved body and his statement regarding the face being in such pristine condition that it "was ready to talk to you", caused a commotion. The Bishop of Phthiotida, Nikolaos, said that the Church should not be in a hurry to announce any kind of sanctity of the monk Vissarion, and that the issue should be discussed at the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece in Athens. However, after the publication of this extraordinary event by the Greek media, hundreds of believers from the area of Phthiotida and other parts of Greece, arrived at the Agathonos Monastery in order to venerate the body of Vissarion. The issue of the incorruptibility of Vissarion's remains caused a tumult within the scientific community in Greece.