Saint Gerasimos is the patron saint of Kefalonia and the Holy Monastery, in which his relic is preserved in a silver tomb, is the main place of worship of the island.

Saint Gerasimos was born in 1506 and was a monk from Trikala in Corinthia. He arrived in Kefalonia in 1555 practicing in a cave in the area of ​​Lassi, and in Omala in 1560 where he renovated the oldest chapel of the Assumption of the Virgin that was there, establishing at the same time a women’s monastery under the name “New Jerusalem”. Saint Gerasimos died in 1579 and was buried next to the Monastery. The first recollection took place two years later, but because the Venetian authorities were not convinced of the immortality of the relic, the recollection was repeated one year after, and the result was the same, resulting in being declared holy in 1622. Saint Gerasimos became known mainly for his miraculous help to people suffering from mental illnesses.

The new temple of Saint was completed in 1992. Inside the Temple, besides the relic of the Saint, you can visit his worship, which is descended from a three-meter staircase. The room is separated by a narrow hole in two spaces. The monks still have the three great sycamore trees planted by the Saint, the 40 wells (3 large and 37 smaller ones) that opened with his hands to irrigate the area, as well as the two threshing floors he built and worked on to secure the Monastery’s livelihood. Today, the nuns are mainly occupied with hospitality, as the Monastery has a hostel, and Hagiography, while at the same time they have developed a rich charity action.

From the beginning of its operation to this day, the monastery is celebrated on August 16^th, on August 23, on the 20th and 26th of October. In these days, there are also litany with a lot of participation of the priests and the people, but the most celebrated celebrations that include a trade fair are on August 16 and October 20. The monastery receives daily visits from 04.00am to 13.00pm and 15.30pm until 21.00pm