Saint Cosmas of Aetolia was a Great Missionary from the...

Saint Cosmas of Aetolia is considered one of the great missionaries of the Orthodox Church. Much like Saint Paul, he traveled a great distance to proclaim the Gospel. He established schools and reinvigorated the Orthodox faithful of Greece who had endured several centuries of Ottoman occupation. Costa was his given name and he was born in 1714 in the village of Mega Dendron in the mountainous region of Aetolia. ? At age 20, he worked as a grammar teacher under the guidance of Archdeacon Ananias Dervisanos. Young Costa lived much like a monk in the world and after a number of years he was drawn to Mouth Athos. He first studied theology at the Athonias Academy near Vatopedi Monastery. # years later he joined the brotherhood at Philotheou Monastery and was tonsured a monk, given the name Cosmas, and was later ordained a priest. He later described Philotheou as the place where he wept over his sins. Cosmas was a zealous ascetic and lived a life of prayer and stillness. He was greatly enriched through the study of scripture and the church fathers. He spoke often about the necessity of scripture: â€Å"The existence of many churches neither preserves nor strengthens our faith to the proper extent and in the proper manner, if those who believe in God are not enlightened by the Old and the New Testament.† After seventeen years at Philotheou, Cosmas felt called to follow the path of Apostolic preaching. He sympathized with the plight of the Christians under Ottoman