St. Gavrielia

The Holy and Sacred Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, which met Oct. 3, 2023, has canonized Gerontissa Gavrielia Papagianni, who was once described by a foreign missionary as a “bad Christian” because unlike the other missionaries in India of other religions who knew many native dialects, she knew none and spoke only English she replied that she knew five languages: The first is smile, the second is tears, the third is touch, the fourth is prayer and the fifth is love. With these five languages, she traveled around the world.

She was born on October 2, 1897 (the feast day of Saints Cyprian and Justine) in Constantinople. After high school, she left to continue her studies in Switzerland at the School of Agriculture in Estavayer-Le-Lace. She particularly loved plants and literally until the end of her life she “talked” with them, as if she could see their response every time. In 1923 she was in Thessaloniki with her family. There she entered Aristotle University at the Faculty of Philosophy. She then found various jobs in England while helping a number of needy and unemployed people, and caring for many poor people free of charge.

In 1954 she went to India where she stayed for 5 years. It was a great milestone in her life and she especially loved India. There she helped incessantly a multitude of lepers and sick people and showed them, boundless love!

Everyone loved her and called her Sister Leela. In her busy daily schedule, two hours of Bible reading and many hours of prayer were essential. She had complete trust in God and therefore never kept money on her. Everything was given to her by Him, she said. All she did was put herself in His hands. She helped multitudes of people while being the cause of many people being baptized Orthodox. She never told others about Christ unless they asked her to.

After India, she was in the Himalayas for a year on a meager diet, alone “alone with God”, in hours of endless prayer. She would later say that during that year she experienced contemplative monasticism without even knowing it! She now believed that she was doing God’s will when suddenly the message came to her from the angels as she said, “Now you are able to go to be a nun” so she went to Bethany, at the age of 62(!)

And just when she thought that this would now be her life, she started traveling again to help, to talk about Christ, and to be loved by the whole world. Then she went to Athens at the Holy Monastery of Evangelistria, the New Jerusalem, as she used to say. Through the monastery, she corresponded and helped many people.

She passed away at the age of 95, on March 28, 1992, raising her hands to heaven… Gerontissa Gavrielia was a rare person with boundless love for her neighbor. She said that the angels once told her that what matters most is the amount and quality of love you give to others without discrimination!

orthodoxtimes.com