Ioakeim of Koutloumousiou

Saint Ioakeim of Koutloumousiou, a venerable monk, was a Romanian monk on the Holy Mountain, at the Koutloumousiou Monastery, where he was cared for in his old age. He came to Athos at sixteen, leaving his parents and his country, and remained in spiritual exile until ninety, for the love of Christ. On the Sunday of the Veneration of the Cross in 1978, Father Christophoros told him, from his friend Father Methodios of Karyes, that on the next day they would die together. Ioakeim received the news with joy and told the deacon Anastasios that he had never felt such joy. He went to his cell and waited for the hour, repeating in Romanian: "My dear Mother, Most Holy Theotokos...". At five Byzantine hours he closed his eyes like a child and fell asleep in the arms of the Mother of God. At the same moment Father Methodios also reposed. He is honoured by the faithful, without synodal canonization.