Joachim of Vatopaidi

Our venerable father among the saints Joachim of Vatopaidi (also known as Papoulakos) or Joachim of Ithaka is remembered by the Church on March 23.
==Life==
Joachim "Papoulakos" of Ithaka was born in 1786 as John Patrikios to the devout parents, Angelos and Agnes Patrikios, in the little village of Kalyvia of Ithaka in Greece. At a very early age, his mother passed away and his father remarried. His stepmother would be moved in jealousy towards the young child and it was well known that she mistreated him. This forced him at an early age to learn patience and he learnt to spend many hours hiding from her; reading the Holy Scriptures and praying at a small church near his home dedicated to St. Spyridon. 
He joined the family business and worked for his father as a sailor. One one of his trips, he visited Mount Athos, where he became a monk and stayed at the Monastery of Vatopaidi taking on the name of "Joachim". 
In 1827, the saint returned to Ithaka and served the church there for the remainder of his life. He peacefully fell asleep in the Lord in Vathi of Ithaka on March 2, 1868.
==Bibliography==
Note, the information used in this article is a loose translation and summary of key components of this Saints life, from the Greek book written by Κωνσταντίνου Π. Κανέλλου, "Ο Όσιος Ιωακείμ ο Ιθακήσιος (1786-1868)" 
* Γέροντος Ιωσήφ, «Ο Παπουλάκης, Άγιος Ιωακείμ ο Βατοπαιδινός», Ψυχοφελή Βατοπαιδινά 6, Β' έκδοση 1998, Ι. Μ Βατοπεδίου.
* Κωνσταντίνου Π. Κανέλλου, «Ο Όσιος Ιωακείμ ο Ιθακίσιος (1786-1868)», ΙΘΑΚΗ 2000.
* Ενοριακός Παλμός, «Ι. Ν. Κοιμήσεως Θεοτόκου Οβρυάς», έτος 5ο, αρ. φ. 51, ΜΑΡΤΙΟΣ 2000. 
* Για τη διακήρυξη των αγίων, Πρωτοπρ. Κ. Ν. Παπαδόπουλος, περιοδικό Σύναξη, τ. 102, Αγιότητα & Αγιοποιήσεις, ΑΠΡΙΛΙΟΣ – ΙΟΥΝΙΟΣ 2007, σελ. 13-23.
==See also==
;Other Saints also known as Papoulakos
* Monk Christophoros (Panagiotopoulos) (1780/90-1861)
 
Category:Saints
Category:Greek Saints
el:Ιωακείμ_ο_Βατοπεδινός
Category:Modern Saints