Greek monk, last of two, an 'important part of island life'

DW (English)

On Amorgos Island, part of the Greek Cyclades island group, locals are worried about the future of the Orthodox Christian monastery. For them, Father Spyridon is the heart and soul of island life.

Transcript

00:00It's four in the morning when Father Spiridon calls the faithful to prayer.

00:07He's often alone in the little chapel, but he still wants the people in the valley below to hear the bells.

00:18I decided early on to become a priest and then a celibate monk.

00:23Since then, I've lived a fulfilling life filled with spiritual joy.

00:30The Monastery of the Virgin Mary on Amorgos has clung to a cliff 300 meters above sea level since the Middle Ages.

00:39Today it remains a pilgrimage site for visitors from Greece and abroad.

00:45But the Monastery and Father Spiridon are especially important to the 2000 islanders here.

00:52The Monastery provides a valuable service to Amorgos and the surrounding islands.

01:01We take on clerical and pastoral duties, especially on the islands where there are no priests.

01:08For many festivals and celebrations, a monk just has to be present.

01:13An icon of the Virgin Mary.

01:18Time and again, the island's villagers are drawn here to visit the monks.

01:25I don't know why, but on Amorgos, people still go to church and fast.

01:30Mainly because of the Monastery.

01:32Easter is especially popular.

01:34Either you see it as a really important site, or you are truly a believer and you like to come here to pray.

01:44Either way, it's a very important part of our lives.

01:52Spiridon entered the Monastery when he was 18.

01:54Now over 70, he is one of only two monks left, with no successors in sight.

02:01Surveys have shown that faith plays an ever smaller role in the lives of young people, and Greece is no different.

02:08But the monk has not given up hope.

02:13They will come.

02:15When our time is up, the Virgin Mary will send them.

02:18She always helps.

02:19Despite all the problems, we don't despair because God is with us.

02:26We just have to do our duty to the best of our knowledge and belief.

02:31In this tiny kitchen, Father Spiridon prepares whatever the Monastery's lands have to offer.

02:38Here, too, guests from all over the world are welcome.

02:42With no television or internet, this is how the monks hear the latest news.

02:46But Spiridon never feels alone up here.

02:53Our departed brothers are waiting for us in heaven and are still with us in spirit.

03:00Life in the Monastery goes on.

03:03Our duty is to celebrate Mass every morning and every evening.

03:08We don't need a group.

03:11We can do that alone, too.

03:12But every now and then, Father Spiridon is drawn back to the villages of his home island.

03:20First, down some stone steps.

03:23And then in the Monastery's car.

03:26He announces his arrival on the road, since there is no reception in the cloister.

03:31In the villages, he is often awaited eagerly, at least by the elderly.

03:36Like many Aegean islands, Amargos is suffering from an exodus of young people to urban centers.

03:45The islanders fear that one day, with the passing of the last monk,

03:50their sense of community and the income from tourists will disappear as well.

03:54The truth is that the monastery attracts visitors to our island.

04:04The place means everything to us.

04:08Father Spiridon attends weddings, baptisms, and funerals.

04:13As usual, he departs bearing gifts for the monastery from locals, and something to drink.

04:22The islanders know the monk likes to celebrate.

04:29I'm a sociable person.

04:31My community is important to me.

04:33I don't want to live like a hermit in a cave.

04:37But mostly, the Amorgians hear stories from Spiridon about life in the monastery.

04:43Stories that give them hope.

04:47I've met people with physical disabilities who climb the steep path supported by others.

04:53Even blind people.

04:55Their longing leads them to me, and they cry out for the Virgin Mary.

05:03And then, they're overcome.

05:07And I'm reminded of the devotion and piety that led these people to the monastery.

05:17But after a few hours, Father Spiridon is happy to be back home.

05:22Looking down on the world from above, from his cliffside monastery,

05:28where he is closest to the heavens above Amargos.

05:33And he's closest to the heavens above Amargos.

05:34And he's closest to the heavens above Amargos.

05:35And he's closest to the heavens above Amargos.

05:36And he's closest to the heavens above Amargos.

05:37And he's closest to the heavens above Amargos.

05:38And he's closest to the heavens above Amargos.

05:39And he's closest to the heavens above Amargos.

05:40And he's closest to the heavens above Amargos.

05:41And he's closest to the heavens above Amargos.

05:42And he's closest to the heavens above Amargos.

05:43And he's closest to the heavens above Amargos.

05:44And he's closest to the heavens above Amargos.

05:45And he's closest to the heavens above Amargos.

05:46And he's closest to the heavens above Amargos.

05:47And he's closest to the heavens above Amargos.

Category

Transcript

Be the first to comment

Recommended