Charalambos of New Skete

Charalambos of New Skete, with the secular name Demetrius Ligeros, son of Panagiotis, was born in 1871 at Plomari on Lesbos, in a family of eight children. He came to the hut of Saint Haralambos of the Chaldeans in the New Skete in 1888 and was tonsured a monk in 1889. He was an excellent icon painter. He painted icons in many churches of Greece. For his iconography he was awarded at an international icon exhibition in Thessaloniki. He was a devout monk and, they say, whatever he asked of God was done for him.

In 1937, at a feast of Saint Haralambos, they had no fish for the festival. He went to the saint's icon and begged him warmly. The saint appeared to a fisherman and told him to bring fish to the hut of the Chaldeans. When the fisherman brought the fish and wanted to venerate the saint's icon, he recognized the face that had visited him. The blessed Elder Charalambos thanked the saint for his protection, as did all who learned of it. He was loved by all the fathers of the skete. He had the gift of discernment in abundance. He was quite philanthropic and merciful; with the money he earned from icon painting he gave dowries to many orphans. At the end of his life his father also came near him, driven out by his own people. He reposed peacefully and in repentance, after Holy Unction; he thought he was being tonsured a monk and departed at rest.

Elder Charalambos reposed in the Lord from his many labours on 5 November 1961, peacefully, after a slight indisposition, at the age of 90. He lived in his beloved hut for 73 years, without ever leaving it. To his last days he painted icons. In his company he had the monks Eustratios (d. 1974), Dorotheos (d. 1985), the very simple and Theotokos-⁠loving one who came to the skete at 13 and never went out into the world, Prokopios, who as a great-⁠schema monk was named Charalambos (d. 1990), who foresaw his end and came to rest in his hut at 55, Damaskinos (d. 1991) and Damianos, who left for the world. All were occupied with icon painting, fishing and gardening. He is venerated by the faithful, without synodal canonization.