†) St. Jer. Iosif the New from Partoş, the metropolitan of Banat; † St. Great Mc. Nikita; † St. Jer. Visarion, the archbishop of Larisatranslated

Orthodox calendar, September 15 St. Jer. Iosif cel Nou from Partoş, the metropolitan of Banat This holy hierarch and bearer of God, Joseph the New from Partoş, was born around 1568, in the city of Ragusa in Dalmatia, in a family of Vlach Christians. His baptismal name was Jacob. Being orphaned by his father, his mother gave him a chosen upbringing, and at the age of 12 he was sent to Ohrid to learn literature.

When he was 15 years old, the young Jacob was called by Christ to the holy monastic vows, in the Monastery of the Mother of God, in Ohrid. After five years, he goes to Mount Athos and joins the community of the Pantocrator Monastery. Here, after severe spiritual labors, he takes on the form of the great and angelic figure under the name of Joseph.

At Pantocrator, the pious monk Iosif labored for many years together with numerous other Greek, Romanian and Macedonian monks. There he learned the craft of spiritual struggle, self-control, fasting, all-night vigil, obedience and humility.

Then, becoming a hermit in the surrounding forests and tiring himself a lot, he reached the measure of perfection, deserving himself from God with the gift of tears and sleepless prayer that works with the mind in...