Saint Joseph the Hesychast

The Story Behind This Icon: Saint Joseph was born on the island of Paros, Greece, in 1897. His father passed away when his was very young in age and he grew up with his mother and his six siblings. He attended school only until 2nd grade; as one of the oldest, he had to work and help his mother. It was not until his twenties, when he saw a vision of two Angels dressed like guards leading him to God; he then began to read books about the Holy Fathers. As he read about them, he realized that he wanted to be like them and lead a life like theirs. In 1921, having practiced living ascetically for almost two years, he decided to go to Mount Athos. Eventually, he met Father Arsenios who  became his companion in asceticism and hesychasm. After some years, they returned to Katounakia, where Saint Joseph became a spiritual father. Many came to him to join his brotherhood but most could not maintain the level of extreme asceticism Saint Joseph’s practiced. Many of the monks in his brotherhood eventually became saints: Joseph of Vatopaidi; Father Ephraim (who founded most of the monasteries in the United States); Father Haralambos of Dionysiou; and Saint Ephraim of Katounakia (who was not a part of the brotherhood, but often received guidance from Saint Joseph). Saint Joseph fell asleep in 1959. Saint Joseph’s feast day is celebrated on August 15, which is also the Dormition of the Theotokos. As a result, some Fathers on Mount Athos celebrate his feast day on August 16. *** This icon is made of solid, natural limewood (Tilia) that has been prepared by hand using traditional methods and organic materials. The background consists of 22 Karat gold leaves that were meticulously applied by hand, piece by piece. All of our icons are reproduced according to museum print standards and are authentic replicas of Holy Icons from Mount Athos and elsewhere. Learn more about how our Holy Icons are made here.