Gerontios of Simonopetra

Gerontios of Simonopetra, with the secular name George Sykiotis, son of Argyrios and Dialekti, was born at Kassandra in Chalkidiki. In 1910 he came to the Holy Mountain, after his wife's death, and in 1911 was tonsured a monk. He was superior of Simonopetra Monastery. For many years, according to Elder Chrysanthos of St Anne's (d. 1981), he was the muleteer of the monastery, in charge of the animals. The animals usually lived free, since there were no stables, but every evening they went to the animal-⁠loving Elder Gerontios, in the area of Kalamitsi, to drink at the spring there. As soon as they heard the voice of good Gerontios they came and rubbed their heads on his chest. Invoking Saint Modestos, protector of animals, when he lost one he found it at once. If one was sick, he invoked the wonderworking saint, and the animal soon got well.

He was distinguished by meekness and obedience and so was very dear to the whole community. Asked how he acquired meekness, he answered: "In the world everything annoyed me, I got irritated, I beat the animals I was herding. But when I came here and heard in the reading about Balaam, that while he was beating his donkey God opened its mouth and it said to him, 'What have I done to you that you beat me?', from then on a great change took place in me. I decided to care gladly for the animals, since they too obey with joy and come close to me as soon as I call them. After this inner change a peace and joy came to my soul..." In winter he was sad that his animals had no stable to shelter from the frost. They took refuge in some improvised straw shelters. He gathered manure for the monastery's gardens, so that the animals would be clean and not fall ill. He also gave manure for the ascetics' small gardens. He reposed in the Lord peacefully on 11 August 1947, according to his monastery's register. He is venerated by the faithful, without synodal canonization.