Athanasios of the Great Lavra

Athanasios of the Great Lavra, with the secular name Spyridon Kampanaos, was born in 1867 on the island of Aegina to pious parents. He studied medicine at the University of Athens and received his degree as physician-⁠surgeon. As a child he helped chant the psalter in the church of the Prophet Elisha. Desiring the ascetic life, he came to the Holy Mountain and settled at Iviron Monastery. At the declaration of the Greco-⁠Turkish war of 1897 he hurried to serve his country as a junior army doctor.

After his discharge he passed through the gates of the Great Lavra. According to his disciple, the monk Koukouzelis of the Lavra: "He was the physician of Patriarch Joachim III during the latter's twelve years' stay on Athos. For years he was chief secretary of his monastery. For many years he ran its hospital. Tireless in the philanthropic work of great inspirations and high and noble ideas. He was adorned with many virtues: patience, meekness, guilelessness, self-⁠control, temperance, so that the fathers never ceased to seek his counsel daily, and he poured the balm of consolation into the hearts of the grieving. Poor ascetics and lay people came daily and received alms from his ascetic purse."

In a different age he communed twice a week. He lived in the idiorrhythmic monastery as a hermit. As a physician he was a holy unmercenary. He ran to help wherever he was called and often went alone to assist the ascetics. He founded the notable periodical Athonite Library, wrote books and many articles, and was officially honoured. First at the daily service, an unsleeping pillar at vigils. He used to say: "For six hours my Lord hung on the cross; how many pains he suffered for me, the unworthy, and shall I, a sinner, not suffer a little for love of him?" To a monk who came to console him for the pain of a scandal, he said as he left: "You, my brother, told your pain and found peace; to whom shall I tell mine to be consoled?" Before the end, the hieromonk Antonios of Osiou Petrou visited him and said that one of the ascetics of Athos had visited him and asked him to tell him so that he might prepare for his definitive departure. He received the illness with thanksgiving. He reposed on 1 June 1940, after the Divine Liturgy in which he communed, sitting in his armchair. The funeral was held the next day in the katholikon, with Metropolitan Hierotheos of Miletoupolis (d. 1956) presiding. He is venerated by the faithful, without synodal canonization.