PHOTO ESSAY: In a Greek island monastery, a monk has kept together faith and community for 50 years

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This article was published 09/04/2025 (205 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

AMORGOS, Greece (AP) — For more than 50 years, Spyridon Denaxas — or Father Spyridon, as he’s affectionately called — has prayed, worked and welcomed the faithful in a millennium-old monastery carved into a seaside cliff on the Greek island of Amorgos.

Starting well before dawn in a tiny, dark chapel, the Orthodox Christian monk prays to the icon of the Virgin Mary that gives its name to the whitewashed complex perched between sky and sea – the Panagia Hozoviotissa.

The daily rhythm hasn’t changed much since he joined the monastery straight out of high school in the summer of 1971. Father Spyridon, another monk and an assistant also maintain the buildings, cultivate the fields, care for their animals, and receive the steady stream of pilgrims.

While many on the island – and even more so in neighboring Cyclades destinations like Santorini – worry about the growing threat of overtourism, Father Spyridon finds grace in those who visit.

Their journey often starts with an eight-hour ferry ride from the mainland and always ends with a steep, shadowless climb up a stony path to the monastery.

“The Virgin knows the method by which she will transmit her grace to each person – each one, as a brother and as an image of God,” Father Spyridon told The Associated Press.

Even though Greece is rapidly secularizing like the rest of Europe, the church still plays a crucial role in small, tight-knit communities like Amorgos, with 2,000 inhabitants in its small villages.

When Father Spyridon spent his longest period ever away last year – about five months, for surgeries – his eventual return was the talk of the towns. After he resumed his visits to tiny chapels and family-run coffee shops with the help of a gnarled walking stick, old and young alike rushed to greet him.

Especially during Lent, Father Spyridon cherishes his mission to be present for his people – whether a short walk away or visiting from around the world.

“People are sent by God and it’s the responsibility of the monks to welcome them and feed their hunger for spirituality and for a better hope for the future,” he said.

The monastery is blinding white in the Aegean sunshine. During the pitch-black nights, its small windows are the only specks of light in the swirl of stars.

For Father Spyridon, to be “shapers of light” is the essence of everyone’s vocation – and the special blessing of Amorgos’ remote monastery.

“Here, it is about the soul, the spirit, the eternal part of us,” he said.

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Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

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This is a documentary photo story curated by AP photo editors.