Canonization of Papa-Demetrios Gagastathis Approved by Greek Church
Athens—The Holy Synod of the Church of Greece has unanimously approved the canonization of the revered 20th-century married priest.
The proposal, submitted by Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Trikki, Gardiki, and Pyli, has now been forwarded to Patriarch Bartholomew for consideration by the Constantinopolitan Synod, reports the Mystagogy Resource Center.
The official statement from the Synod reads as follows:
It was decided to inscribe in the Hagiological Registry of the Church the priest Demetrios Gagastathis, a man universally acknowledged by the fullness of Christians for his holiness and Orthodox life.
January 29, the day of his repose, was designated as his day of commemoration.
Papa-Demetri, as the people affectionately called him, was a priest of prayer, humility and unceasing ministry.
The fame of his holiness remains alive, and a multitude of believers continue to resort to his prayers.
The Sacred Metropolis of Trikki, Gardiki and Pyli, with prayer and reverence, awaits the decision of the Mother Church, through His All-Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch, for the official inscription of the blessed priest among the Saints.
With deep emotion,
Chrysostomos of Trikki, Gardiki and Pyli "
Papa-Demetrios, who passed away in 1975, was praised by Elder Aimilianos of Simonopetra Monastery as a man whose heart and mind were fixed on heaven. Known for his unceasing prayer and deep humility, his life was described as a continuous ascent toward God, marked by divine grace. His spiritual legacy is particularly known in English through Papa-Dimitri: The Man of God, published in 1997 by Orthodox Kypseli publications.
