Gerasimos of Kefalonia (1506, Trikala of Corinth — August 15, 1579, Kefalonia) is an Orthodox saint and the patron of the Greek island of Kefalonia. He came from the noble Byzantine family Notaras. Tonsured as a monk on Mount Athos, he was later ordained a priest in Jerusalem, where he served for twelve years in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
Seeking solitude, he lived as a hermit on Crete and Zakynthos. In 1555 he moved to Kefalonia, first living in a cave near Argostoli and later founding a monastery in the mountains near Valsamata. According to tradition, his last words were an exhortation to live in peace with one another and avoid pride.
Saint Gerasimos is deeply venerated on Kefalonia, and boys are often named after him. His incorrupt relics are preserved in a silver shrine in the women’s monastery dedicated to him. On feast days, the relics are carried over the sick for healing. October 20 is an official holiday on Kefalonia in his honor.
