Ioannikios of the Koutloumousiou Skete

Ioannikios of the Koutloumousiou Skete (d. 1909) was elder of the only hut on the Holy Mountain dedicated to Saint Ioannikios the Great, now in ruins, which stood below Elder Joachim's hut. Elder Joachim of Karyes (d. 1988) used to relate that he was very strict in his life and his community's. They lived very poorly, in want, ascetically and humbly. He had come to the Koutloumousiou skete of Saint Panteleimon very young and, it is said, had met the venerable Nikodemos the Hagiorite (d. 1809), who often came to the skete to talk with the hieromonk Kyril Kastanophyllis (d. 1835), the elder of the holy martyr Gerasimos (d. 1812), who copied for him his God-⁠inspired books, since Nikodemos had poor handwriting.

Elder Ioannikios had six disciples but only two small cells. In one the elder, quite aged, rested, and in the other the disciples by turns of five days; on other days they rested in the church stalls. He was endowed with the gift of foresight: without your telling him your name, he called you naturally and revealed the secrets of your heart. He reposed at the age of one hundred and twenty. His last disciple was Elder Joseph the Cypriot (d. 1992), who stayed in the hut of Saint Ioannikios until 1965, then moved to the hut of Saint Nicholas. He read only three books he liked very much: the Gospel, the Apostle and the Psalter, which he called the most beautiful book in the world. He resembled his elder and reposed at the age of one hundred and six. He is venerated by the faithful, without synodal canonization.