Born in Constantinople, Serafeim Xenopoulos was ordained bishop of Arta in 1864. He was an important ecclesiastical figure of the Greek Church and enriched the spiritual life of Arta with his pastoral and literature works. It is worth mentioning the “Historical Essay of Arta and Preveza” where he describes in detail the history of these two regions and offers important information about the presence of the Ottomans and the Romaniote Jews before and after the liberation.

He worked with zeal to make the best of the Holy Metropolis and gave particular emphasis to the education of the young people in his region and the restoration of monasteries, such as the ruined Byzantine Monastery of Panagia Brioni.

During his time the peaceful liberation of Arta from the Ottomans took place (June 24, 1881).

The Bishop Serafeim Xenopoulos had his name connected with the opening of the tomb of Saint Theodora.

The Chronicle of the disposing of the Holy Remains mentions that, since many doubted the existence of the Saint’s relics, claiming that they had been stolen by the Franks the bishop of Arta ordered the opening of her tomb.

That is why, on the 20th of March 1873, once they chanted the prayer of the Saint, the priests together with the people, the notables of Arta and the ambassadors of Russia and of free Greece, opened the tomb and respectfully collected the holy remains of the Saint.