Ignatios of Dionysiou

Ignatios of Dionysiou was born in the village of Ochthonia near Chalkida in Euboea. As a child he worked in the mines of Lavrion in Attica. He came to Dionysiou Monastery in 1914. His monastic life was blameless; every obedience of his was done diligently, willingly, honestly and with taste. He was distinguished by spiritual purity, genuine humility and rich brotherly love. His fellow monk Lazarus (d. 1974) says: "To all he was the comforting counsellor, guide and support, which I too enjoyed during my three-⁠year trial in the monastery as a beginner. His whole life was a continuous asceticism and a struggle for the sanctification of soul and body. He kept obedience unto death." He served at the dependency of Monoxylitis, as deputy to the abbot, storekeeper, refectorian, guest master and gardener.

By his patience, perseverance and industry he made the wild mountain a beautiful garden, a fruitful olive grove. With his tools he went and cleared the thickets. He grafted wild olive trees and made useful dry-⁠stone walls on the steep slopes opposite the monastery. He left a memory of diligence, always joined with love and humility. To a monk who was reading a worldly newspaper he said with brotherly love: "It seems you have not understood how much a monk is harmed by reading newspapers: his mind is filled and defiled with harmful and useless reading."

After his repose, the hieromonk Serapion saw in his cell a great light and saw Brother Ignatios alive, joyful and luminous, who bowed and said to him with love and respect: "I thank you, Father Serapion, I thank you for your love; please do not labour any more for me, for the all-⁠good Lord has saved me and I am very well, happy and blessed among the saved saints." After three years Abbot Gabriel went to Thessaloniki for the exhumation of his remains. The bones were yellow and fragrant. When the skull was brought to the monastery and a memorial service was held, many fathers who kissed it felt fragrance and warmth. He reposed in the Lord on 7 June 1953. He is venerated by the faithful, without synodal canonization.