Matthew (Karpathakis) of Bresthena

Bp. Matthew (Karpathakis) was born on March 1, 1861, in the village of Panethimon, Kissamos, Chanea, island of Crete, Greece.

Early Life

His family were pious and God fearing Christians known for their strict adherence to the Orthodox faith. He was the tenth child born to Presbyter Haralambos Karpathakis, and Presbytera Kyriaki. He was baptized by his father and given the name George, after St. George the Greatmartyr. When George reached the age of 12, his father reposed in the Lord. George’s older brother Constantine had followed in their father’s footsteps and had been ordained a Priest. After the repose of his father, George approached his brother and mother and received their blessings to enter the nearby Monastery of Chrysopigi in Chanea. George was received into the monastery in October of 1872 by the Abbot Archimandrite Kallinikos.

Education

In 1876, after spending 4 years at the monastery, he received a blessing from the Abbot Kallinikos to travel to Alexandria (Egypt), to live with a relative so as to complete his High School education. In 1880, George along with the group of Holy Land Pilgrims arrived in Jerusalem the day before Pascha. After visiting the great sites of the Holy Land, he proceeded to the Offices of the Patriarch of Jerusalem, Hierotheos, so as to receive his blessing. After discussing several theological topics, Patriarch Hierotheos proceeded to successfully convince George to stay and study in the Holy Land at the prestigious Holy Cross Theological School. There he was a classmate of the future heresiarch Meletios Metaxakis. In 1885, George graduated from the Holy Cross Theological School with top honors, and was ordained a Hierodeacon by the Patriarch Nicodemos of Jerusalem, at the Church of the Resurrection of Christ.

Life on Mt. Athos

Desiring the ascesis of the Holy Mountain, George received a blessing from the Patriarch of Jerusalem to go to Mount Athos. On April 30, 1886 George left for the Holy Mountain via sea travel. Upon arriving on the Holy Mountain, he traveled to St. Anna’s Skete, where he began his life on the Holy Mountain under obedience of the Holy Elder Nectarios. On September 26, 1886 he was tonsured to the Great Schema and renamed Matthew. After 7 years on the Holy Mountain, the monastic community of St. Anna’s Skete along with Elder Nectarios insisted on the ordination of Ft. Matthew to the rank of Hieromonk. Therefore on July 26, 1893, Elder Necatrios and Ft. Matthew travelled to the Holy Monastery of St. Gregory, where he Matthew was ordained a Hieromonk.

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