Michael of Docheiariou

Michael of Docheiariou, a blind monk, with the secular name Emmanuel Papagiannaros, was born in 1908 at Pagonda on Samos. At about twenty-⁠five, from an unknown cause, probably lime, he went blind. He was tonsured a monk on Samos, in 1936, by a Docheiariou elder, Gabriel, at the Holy Cross monastery. Two good old nuns cared for him. Toward the end of his life, in 1980, God was pleased that he settle in his elder's monastery, after three years of monastic life at the Prousos monastery. There the Mother of God informed him that in a year she would take him, with the other brothers, to her Garden.

He bore his trial with great perseverance and continual thanksgiving to God. He loved the services; many times a day he repeated the Akathist to the Mother of God, whom he venerated beyond measure. Once they asked him: "Do you want to see your light?" He answered: "No. I would like to see the light in the other life." He made three hundred prostrations daily and always had the prayer rope rolling in his hand. He was a holy man.

Before his repose he fell into a coma of many hours. The monks thought it would be hard for him to remain so long. At one point he recovered and said that Elder Joseph of Docheiariou (d. 1981) had appeared to him and told him that he would soon take him with him, and he fell into a coma again. A monk made prostrations to the Archangel Michael to take his soul so that he would not suffer long. He sensed a hum and the soul of the blind monk left his body. Earlier he had revived and said: "I have fallen asleep and slept." Immediately he gave up his spirit into the hands of his Maker, confirming the saying that the death of the righteous is a peaceful sleep. It was 19 June 1983. He is venerated by the faithful, without synodal canonization.