St. Iakovos of Evia

By: Jude Namee

Saints come from many backgrounds. Sanctity is not reserved for the children of kings or those with easy backgrounds. Holiness is the one life aspiration open to all. 

Good parenting does matter, however. The knowledge that parenting can be a pathway to sanctify should encourage, not discourage us. As we pray for Christ’s mercy daily, we can hope that joys and sorrows of parenting can lead to our salvation. A good and happy childhood is a wonderful gift to a child, but growing up in a sanctified childhood is a remarkable heritage. Saintly parents oft produce saints. 

Saint Constantine College is happy to publish this series of articles by Jude Namee on the parents of saints. These articles are written by a young person reflecting on one of the many paths the good God has given us to Paradise. I commend these to you as a thoughtful start to many hours of possible meditation. May we read these and be encouraged in our parenting if we are parents, or in our prayers for our parents if we are still young. We ask for the intercession of these saintly parents!

JMNR

One’s parents do not have to be splendid models for one to become a saint. This is shown, to a certain extent, in the life of St. Iakovos. His father, Stavros, was a relatively average man. Faithful and virtuous, but still not exceptional. His outstanding traits were diligence, hard work, and bravery, which he demonstrated in his wearying escape from Turkish captivity. For years, he was separated from his family; but he never despaired, never stopped thinking about how he could get back to them. Perhaps, then, he was an exceptional man – for not many have that brand of fortitude.

Stavros’ wife, Theodora, was the more noticeably holy of the two. She was pious, discerning, modest, and ascetical, and her primary occupations were almsgiving, fasting, hard work, and maintaining a good home for her family. Yet she did not forget to instruct her children in the ways of the Orthodox, teaching them every one of the virtues she herself practised. Notably, she taught her sons how to do household chores, which, at the time, were usually done by women. All of this was preparation for the time when Iakovos would become a monk: it was ammunition against the evil one, arms with which to drive off temptation. 

At the end of Theodora’s life, she was granted a great honor: the sight of her Guardian Angel. He told her that she would die in three days, and this gave her the time to prepare herself and her family. Of course, the family was extremely grieved at the loss of their mother, and Iakovos even fell into the pit of despair. He swore he would never go to church again, since his mother had to die. But even beyond the grave Theodora was watching over him. She appeared to him in a dream and told him with motherly love to return to church. Obedient as ever, Iakovos did as his mother commanded, and was never tempted to abandon the Church again. I suppose that we have to particularly thank Theodora for this incident, for if she had not sent him back to church, Iakovos might never have become a saint, and the Church would have lost one of its greatest warriors forever.

This story can be challenging, and in sharing it, we aren’t suggesting that readers should emulate the specific actions of St Iakovos’ parents. While they lived relatively recently, they still lived in a context very different from our own. Yet, their story can be an inspiration to those of us raising children today, to see an example of a family that was wholly dedicated to Christ, even if in a manner unique to them.