Father Daniel

Father Daniel is the son of Greek emigrants of second generation; he was born on the 10th of October, 1970 in Düsseldorf, Germany where he grew up and finished the German lyceum.

In 1989 he came to Greece in order to serve his military service initially in Tripoli and after in Xanthi. He studied tourist professions and he speaks four languages. In 1994 he returned to Greece in order to work as a guide.

Through his work he came in contact with the Agion Oros (monks republic in the north of Greece, an independent country) where he was guiding tourists with a boat around the peninsula of Athos.

In 1996 he accepted an invitation to the holy Places of Jerusalem where he came to know and love the holy prayers and rituals.

In June of 1996 he became a lay brother from the Greek orthodox patriarch Diodoros. He served in several adorations including the secretariat of the patriarchate.

In 1998 he left from Jerusalem and went to Agion Oros at the hermitage of Saint – Pandeleimon to continue serving as a lay brother in the Saint – Athanasios cell.

In 2002 he returned to Jerusalem and served with the blessing of patriarch Ereneos in the holy city of Bethlehem. There he became a monk from the patriarch Ereneos.

Later, father Daniel, returned to Greece to the historic monastery of Paleokastritsa. In the Easter of 2006 he was sent to the Monastery of Virgin Mary of Myrtidiotissa to serve and be a deacon there.

From the moment Father Daniel laid eyes on the Monastery he loved it. Since then he has been working very hard to fix and repair any kind of damage or deterioration he found on the buildings and to the remainder places of the monastery caused from many years of neglect. He has also worked to make the monastery a liturgical place in order to attract more monks that wish to become dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Lastly, he continues to build the monastery into a beautiful place in order to honor the Virgin Mary and offer the visitors a feeling of peacefulness and love and a memory that will stay in the depth of their hearts for many years.

Father Daniel serves God in the small Monastery of the Virgin Mary of Myrtidiotissa where he lives and works till present day.