Ephraim Hatzipateras

Holy Venerable Ephraim Hatzipateras (Efrem Hagi-⁠Pateras) was a hieromonk in Crete, born in 1836 at Limnes in Lasithi, who fell asleep in that village on 24 February 1909. He has not been officially proclaimed a saint of the Church, but on 24 February 1991 a local gathering in his honour was held at Limnes, with the metropolitan of the time, local authorities and many clergy and people.

His name as a layman was Euthymios, one of the six children of Michael and Maria Dimitrakopoulou. From childhood he took part without fail in the Divine Liturgy and showed love and kindness to others; he was industrious, sociable and a skilled chanter. From an early age he desired to be an unmarried priest and refused every match his parents proposed. So as not to grieve them further, he once agreed to one, but just as the family was preparing to go and ask for the bride, there was a strong earthquake and the engagement was cancelled; his parents then respected his wish and gave him their blessing to dedicate himself to God. Between 1867 and 1869 he served in the army and fought bravely against the Turks.

He received the monastic schema from Bishop Meletios Chlapoutakis of Petra at the Monastery of the Holy Trinity of Aretiou and was given the name Ephraim. He longed to visit the Holy Places and, accompanied by Hatzi Giamakis, stayed there three years; in Crete at that time whoever visited the Holy Places was called "Hatzis", which is why he was called Hatzipateras. At the metropolitan's commission he served as priest in the village of Limnes. He travelled through Crete preaching the Word of God and received the gift of foresight. With his help several churches were built in Crete, among them the church of the Annunciation at Limnes, the church of Saint Panteleimon, that of Saint John (1899) in Agios Nikolaos and that of All Saints (1903) on the islet facing Agios Nikolaos. Many afflicted in soul and body ran to him for him to read a prayer, and they were healed; through his prayer the possessed, paralytics, the sick and the childless found healing.

His relics lie in the cemetery of Saint John at Limnes. When his grave was opened his bones gave off a sweet fragrance, and the earth from the grave, taken by the faithful, miraculously fulfilled their requests. One of his teeth is kept in the church of Saint Marina at Limnes.