St. Gerasimos (Gerasimos Kefalonian) has long been considered the patron saint of the Greek island of Kefalonia and its inhabitants. It is the most revered saint of these places. It is not surprising that the main temple dedicated to Saint Gerasim Kefalonia.

St. Gerasimos was tonsured a monk on Mount Athos, and then went to Jerusalem, where he was ordained a priest. There, he served 12 years in the Church of the Resurrection. After Jerusalem, the Holy Gherasim some time lived as a hermit on the islands of Crete and Zakynthos, and finally, in 1555 settled in Kefalonia. Where he lived the rest of his life. Saint Gerasimos died August 15, 1579.

The first years that St. Gerasimos spent on Kefalonia, he lived in a cave in Lassi (a resort suburb of Argostoli). In 1560, he founded a monastery in the valley of Omala (central Kefalonia) near the village of Valsamata and called it "The New Jerusalem." It has survived the cave-small cell at the monastery building and a huge plane tree, which was planted by the saint. During the earthquake in 1953 the monastery suffered substantially and was largely rebuilt.

The main relic of the monastery is the imperishable relics of St. Gerasimos. After his death, the body was exhumed twice, and each time it was incorruptible (as such it is). In 1622, Saint Gerasimos was canonized. Today the holy relics are buried in a separate church in glass cancer. On the day of commemoration of St. Gerasimos on August 16 held a solemn service and the relics of St. sneaked over the sick and infirm. St. Gerasimos was famous for his wonderful gift of healing people (including obsessive).

The official public holiday on the island of Kefalonia is October 20 - Day of St. Gerasimos. Today, the monastery of Saint Gerasimos is the most famous and visited the temple of the island. Every year, here comes a huge number of pilgrims from different countries, wanting to touch the shrine.