Holy New Confessor Anthimos, Metropolitan of Athens and Euripus and President of Crete (+ 1371)

The Frankish Occupation (1204–1489) was a dark and at the same time tragic time for the Church of Greece. After defeating Constantinople in 1204 during the Fourth Crusade, the Latins went on to occupy other former remnants of the Roman Empire, where they tried to impose papal authority on Orthodox Christians. One of then was the Duchy of Athens (1205–1458), with its two capitals Thebes and Athens, and encompassing Attica, Boeotia, and parts of southern Thessaly. In 1311, the Duchy was conquered by the Catalan Company, and in 1388, it passed into the hands of the Florentine Acciaiuoli family, which kept it until the Ottoman conquest in 1456. One of the great confessors of the Orthodox faith during this time was a virtually unknown saint, Metropolitan Anthimos of Athens and Euripus.

The Holy Ninety-Nine Fathers of Crete including Venerable John the Hermit

 

MEMORY OF THE VENERABLE NINETY-NINE FATHERS,
who practiced asceticism on the island of Crete
including JOHN THE HERMIT

Commemorated on October 7th

By St. Justin Popovich

 

THESE ninety-nine venerable fathers, among whom the most famous was John the Hermit, practiced asceticism and perfected themselves on the island of Crete, but their origin was from various regions. Venerable John was from Egypt and with him thirty-five other fathers; thirty-nine fathers were from the island of Cyprus, and the other twenty-four from Attaleia. Traveling by ship to the island of Crete, they were miraculously saved from a storm and landed on the neighboring island of Gavdos, and from there they came to Crete. But John the Hermit lagged behind them, who then came across the sea standing on his tunic, which, after praying to God, he spread on the water and thus by the power of God he also sailed to Crete.

Saint Eumenios Saridakis Resource Page

St. Eumenios the New (Feast Day - May 23)

 Verses

Healer of lepers and pestilential diseases,
You were seen, Eumenios, as a guide of the faithful.

 

Synaxarion of our Venerable and God-bearing Father Eumenios (Saridakis) the New

 

Venerable Eumenios the New of Crete in the Hymnography of the Orthodox Church 

Maria Loulaki Kokovaki, "Sister by Suckling" of the Newly Canonized Saint Eumenios Saridakis, Has Reposed

 

Elder Eumenios Saridakis: The Saint Who Had the Gift of Laughter

 

The Priest Who Constantly Laughed During Confession

 

Why Elder Eumenios Saridakis Pretended To Be Awkward Around Children

 

Elder Eumenios Saridakis and the Tiger at the London Zoo  

When Saint John the Baptist Appeared to Elder Eumenios Saridakis on a Boat and Covered Him

 

Greek Singer Stamatis Kokotas Testifies to a Miracle of Saint Eumenios He Witnessed

 

The Visitation of Elder Eumenios to a Homosexual Couple With AIDS 

 

Elder Eumenios Saridakis on How the Third World War Was Avoided By the Intervention of the Panagia

 

Partaking of Holy Communion With Lepers and Those With Infectious Diseases 

 

When Saint Nikephoros the Leper Appeared and Saved Elder Eumenios Saridakis from Certain Death

 

When Saint Nikephoros the Leper Appeared and Banished Away the Sadness of Elder Eumenios Saridakis 

 

"Saint Nikephoros Came To Comfort Me in My Pain" (Elder Eumenios Saridakis) 

 

Miracles of Saint Nikephoros the Leper

The First Grave and Reliquary of St. Nikephoros the Leper

 

The Cell of Saint Eumenios Saridakis

 

Rare Video Footage of Saint Eumenios Saridakis Serving Matins and the Divine Liturgy

 

Encomium on Behalf of Saint Nikephoros the Leper (Elder Eumenios Saridakis) 

 

"O My Sanctified Athens" (Elder Eumenios Saridakis)

 

Saint Eumenios Saridakis, the Demon Possessed Girl and the Miraculous Icon of Saint George

 

Saint Eumenios Saridakis and the Drought of 1993

 

Saint Eumenios and the Myrrhgushing Conch of the Sanctuary Wall

Holy Synod of the Church of Crete Unanimously Agrees to the Official Canonization of Elder Eumenios Saridakis 

 

The Canonization of Elder Eumenios Saridakis by the Ecumenical Patriarchate Will Reportedly Take Place in March

 

Elder Eumenios Saridakis Has Been Officially Recognized as a Saint by the Ecumenical Patriarchate  

 

The Celebration of Saint Eumenios the New in Athens and Crete

 

The Christmas Eve Miracle of Elder Eumenios Lampakis

By Dr. Haralambos M. Bousias,  

Great Hymnographer of the Church of Alexanria

In the Cretan village of Myriokephalos there is a Monastery that has the miraculous icon of Panagia Myriokephalitissa. This icon is said to be one of the seventy that the Apostle Luke had made. The Monastery was a Metochion of the Monastery of the Prophet Elias and every month a hieromonk went there from the sovereign Monastery, to serve not only the monastics there, but also the whole village.

One year, as Christmas was approaching, it was the turn of Father Eumenios to go to the Metochion and with holy remembrance he once recounted to Father Spyridon:

Saint Paul, Bishop of Gortyna

Saint Paul was Bishop of Gortyna towards the end of the Great Persecution against the Christians and led his flock when the Christians obtained new freedoms under Emperor Constantine the Great. In the year 312, after Constantine had a vision of the Holy Cross in the sky, Bishop Paul went to Rome with the emperor and asked for his permission to have the Ten Martyrs of Crete who were martyred under Decius in 250. When he returned to Crete, he went to the place where they were buried called Alonia, along with other Christians, some of whom were advanced in years and remembered what these Martyrs suffered 62 years earlier. Their names were saved until the middle of the 6th century, when the relevant Martyrion was written that records this event, that is, 200 years later, and they were commemorated annually on the feast of the Ten Martyrs. Unfortunately, these names are not saved today. When the holy relics of the Ten Martyrs were uncovered, they were found by Saint Paul to be incorrupt, and he had them transferred to the city of Gortyna, where they were celebrated for centuries, as well as throughout Crete. Saint Paul of Gortyna is commemorated locally on the first Sunday of October.

 

 

The Testament of Saint John the Stranger (Ioannes o Xenos)

Saint John the Stranger (Ioannes o Xenos) was a hermit on the island of Crete who founder a number of monastic establishments there. He reposed in 1031 and is commemorated in the Orthodox Church on September 20. Below is his testament that has been handed down to us. The attached source link at the bottom provides more information on this text, the translation and on Saint John in general.

 

I, Ioannes the monk and the hermit, known as xenos, commanded.

1. Being a source of incorruption our God created man at first in incorruption; having seen him, He gave <him the possibility> and He settled <him> at the life-giving place. So, due to the deceit and the advice of the evil-minded serpent, the forefather having not observed the command, was condemned to death. And then, O brethren, there is no man who will live and will not face death. Thus, I too, the lowly monk and known as xenos, having been laid down on a bed by sickness and expecting the finality of death, look, how I have arranged and manifestly set out everything regarding me, and what holy God through his oikonomia (dispensation) revealed to me; and this is how matters regarding me stand. I was born of rich parents <coming> from a village called Siva; and having been conceived by them, I came out of the maternal womb, longing for the solitary life from a young age. Thereafter, from mountain to mountain and in desert places wandering, being maltreated and harassed by the icy cold, I spent considerable time following the command (of God) and being burnt up by the burning heat of the sun and the frost of the winter. And having dwelt and lived together with the wild beasts and animals, I came as far as the mountain of Lithines, which is called Raxos. And in that place, having remained a considerable number of days and having traversed all over the mountain and having found a dense and trackless forest, I found also at that same place a cave, in which when I entered it, I found two monuments, one on the north side and the other on the south. Having gazed at them, I came out of the cave thinking to myself, what are these? And as I walked for a little, a voice came down to me from above calling me by name and commanding me in these words: "Ioannes, Ioannes, Ioannes, these that you saw here, are two monuments of Eutychios and Eutychianos, and in this place you are destined to raise a sacred and holy naos (temple) in their name". And having heard these, I stayed at the place; and having taken a great deal of trouble and given myself with my whole soul, I began to remove from the ground the trees and undergrowth and to clean the aforesaid monuments; and having done these things after many days, I raised a sacred and holy naos of Saints Eutychios and Eutychianos.
 

An Oasis With a Miraculous Chapel Dedicated to Saint Phanourios Off a Busy Highway in Crete

 

Off the busy national road between Rethymnon and Chania there is a chapel in which during the summer months is visited quite often by pilgrims and baptisms are daily performed. This chapel in Crete is dedicated to Saint Phanourios, and it is widely known as a church of miracles, specifically miracles that have helped many children get well by overcoming serious health issues.

According to Father Christos Papoutsakis, who has been the pastor of the chapel for 42 years, one case in point concerns a baby whose parents recently made a vow in the chapel. The baby was standing on the verge of life and death when the parents transported their child to Heraklion for treatment. After much suffering and endless pain the baby was cured, with doctors declaring that they were unable to explain the phenomenon. Naturally, he was baptized in this church and for Father Christos and his parents, it was another miracle.

Eldress Galaktia, in the world known as Galatia Kanakakis (+ 2021)

 

By Metropolitan Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agiou Vlasiou

On 20 May 2021, a blessed nun reposed, Eldress Galaktia, who lived in the village of Pompia Moires, Heraklion, Crete. Her repose moved me deeply, because I knew her, through Father Antonios Fraggakis, Preacher of the Holy Metropolis of Gortyna, for over a decade and I had constant contact with her.

I consider it a special gift of God that I met her and, mainly, because she considered me as her child and of course I considered her as my mother. Until now I have never spoken publicly about her and the communication I had with her, except to a few people I know, but now I will do it after her repose.

The first time we met was in Heraklion, Crete, when she came to meet me in April of 2013, and the second time I visited her at her house, which was like a monastic cell, and we walked to the Holy Monastery of Koudouma and discussed theological and spiritual matters.

Holy Synod of the Church of Crete Unanimously Agrees to the Official Canonization of Elder Eumenios Saridakis

In a meeting today, 31 May 2021, of the Holy Synod of the Church of Crete which gathered in Heraklion, all the Bishops unanimously agreed to the proposal of Metropolitan Makarios of Gortynos and Arcadia which he proposed on the Sunday of the Veneration of the Honorable Cross this past year, which is to submit for official canonization the name of Archimandrite Eumenios Saridakis to the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

Holy Martyr Peter the New

St. Peter the New (Feast Day - July 14)

Verses

Without hindrance they advanced divine Peter,
Having removed his legs.

The Holy Martyr Peter the New met his end by having his legs cut off.*

Notes:

* Some codices say he was the Bishop of Crete.

Holy Hieromartyr Melchizedek, Bishop of Kisamos (+ 1821)

St. Melchizedek of Kisamos (Feast Day - May 19)

Melchizedek Despotakis, originating from Heraklion in Crete, became a monk at a young age and went to the the city of Iasi, Romania for higher education as an apprentice near the teacher Kleoboulos. In January 1818 he was ordained Bishop of the Diocese of Kisamos and Selino, succeeding Ioannikios. Being brave and with a thriving national phronema, he had been introduced into the Revolutionary Organization called “Filiki Eteria” (Friendly Company) by Pangalos Varnavas. He became a leader of the revolution of 1821. He had a brave and fearless character and, as a bishop, he repelled many unjust demands of the Turkish Janissaries.

Commemoration of the Massacre in 1823 at the Cave of Milatos

On Thomas Sunday, which is the Sunday after Easter, a Memorial Service is held in the Cave of Milatos (also known as Rapas Cave), which is located in Lassithi, Crete, 3km northeast of Milatos village at an altitude of 155m, to commemorate the massacre of 3600 Cretans. This execution took place in February 1823 under the orders of the Turkish general Hassan. These 3600 people, mainly women and children, were hiding in this cave from the bloodthirsty Turks who were ravaging the area.

Holy Martyr Theophilos of Crete with his Wife and Children

St. Theophilos of Crete and Those With Him (Feast Day - March 31)

All we know about Saint Theophilos of Crete comes to us from Parisian Codex 1575 at Great Lavra (Η 76, Δ 25 και Δ 45), where there is a complete Divine Office dedicated to him. There we learn that Saint Theophilos was martyred in Crete with his wife and children. Their martyrdom probably took place in early Christian times during one of the persecutions. They are commemorated together on March 31st.

Church of Saint Joseph Samakos the Sanctified in Azokeramos, Crete

The Church of Saint Joseph Samakos the Sanctified in Azokeramos, Crete was built as a monument to the Saint in the place where he was born and raised. In the time of the Saint in the 15th century, the village of Azokeramos was known as Keramoi, at the easternmost end of the province of Siteia. Today his incorrupt relics rest on the island of Zakynthos.

The First Church Dedicated to Saint Gregory Palladas

Saint Gregory Palladas served as Patriarch of Alexandria for 22 years until 20 January 1710, when he retired due to illness to the Monastery of Vatopaidi on Mount Athos, where he reposed in peace on 15 January 1714. There his skull is kept as one of the monastery's most precious treasures. On 17 September 2002 he was canonized by the Patriarchate of Alexandria, and a Divine Office was composed for him by the current Metropolitan of Rhodes, Kyrillos Kogerakis.

The Turkish Persecutor of Christians Who Was Healed by Saint Myron of Crete in 1840

In the year 1840 there lived on the island of Crete in the village of Archanes which was in the province of Temenos a certain Turk named Hussein Pasha. He had led the massacre that took place in Heraklion on June 24, 1821, remembered in the area as "the great ravage" ("ο μεγάλος αρπεντές"). One day Hussein Pasha came down with an illness that made him blind. He sought the help of doctors, but nothing could be done for him. In a desperate situation, he turned to some Christians who were friends of his, who urged him to visit the tomb of Saint Myron.

Saint Methodios of Nivritos

Verses

You put to shame all the methods of the enemy,
With the perfect methods of asceticism Father.
On the twenty-fifth Methodios departed to the city of God.

Venerable Methodios was born in Rethymno on the island of Crete during the Arab occupation (818-961). Not much else is known about his life, except from the time he lived as an ascetic on the mountains of Nivritos with his elder Euthymios. Here he aimed to acquire all the virtues and live a God-pleasing life. At one point he also met Saint Nicholas Kourtaliotis (Sep. 1), who lived as an ascetic on a neighboring mountain (it should be noted that some identify Saint Methodios and Saint Nicholas as being one and the same person, but this theory needs to be examined further).

Church of the Holy Five Canonical Virgins in Crete

The Church of the Holy Five Canonical Virgins in ancient Lappa, now Argyroupoli of Rethymno, is one of the most important shrines of western Crete, with a long tradition of worship. The church is dedicated to the Holy Five Canonical Virgins Thekla, Mariamna, Martha, Maria and Ennatha, who are believed to have lived and died there.

Holy New Martyr Mark of Crete, Who Was Martyred in Smyrna (+ 1643)

St. Mark the New Martyr of Crete (Feast Day - May 14)

Verses

When Mark of Crete was led to the sword,
He looked towards the sword steadfastly as if it were a crown.

Mark was a native of the island of Crete, but moved to Smyrna at a young age. While still a child in Smyrna, he was forced to become a Muslim. From Smyrna he moved to Constantinople where he studied under the learned teacher and polymath Meletios Syrigos. It appears it was from this acquaintance that Mark desired to forsake Islam and suffer for Christ.

Holy Venerable Martyr Paul of Crete (+ 764)

St. Paul of Crete (Feast Day - March 17)

Verses

Paul was inflamed with zeal for the icons,
For these he was burnt in the flame of the furnace.

We read about the Holy Venerable Martyr Paul in the Life of Saint Stephen the New. During his last imprisonment Stephen was confined in the Praetorium of Constantinople in the company of 342 monks, all of whom suffered various kinds of mutilation and ill-treatment on behalf of their veneration of the holy icons, probably in 764. While in prison, the conversation turned to recent martyrdoms, and Anthony the Cretan reported that the first victim of the persecution was a certain monk named Paul who was from Crete.