The birthplace of the saint Spyridon of Trimifuntsky is the island of Cyprus. Villages of Askia (Askeia or Ashia), in which the saint was born, and Tremefusya ( Tremetousia, Turkish name - Erdemli), on the site of which the ancient city of Trimifunt was once located (St. Spiridon ), are located in that part of the island of Cyprus that is occupied by Turkey and is part of the so-called Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. Both villages are located approximately 12 km east of the island's capital, Nicosia.in the occupied part of Larnaca province(Larnaca ). In accordance with the administrative division of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, the above villages are part of the province of Gazimagusa ( Gazimagusa ), Greek name - Famagusta, Famagusta . Tremefusya and Askia are approximately 6 km away. from each other (see map below).
All Orthodox churches in the villages of Askia and Tremefusya have been desecrated and destroyed. Some have been rebuilt into mosques (see photo below).
Mentions of the year of death of the saint Spiridon not preserved in ancient manuscript monuments. The exact date of his birth is also unknown. However, it is obvious that the saint’s childhood and youth were spent on Fr. Cyprus during the reign of Emperor Diocletian (284–305), and the blessed death of the Bishop of Trimifuntus followed probably around 350.(but not earlier than 344).
Relics of the saint until the second half of the 7th century. rested in the city of Trimifunt, and then, due to Arab raids, they were probably transferred to Constantinople by order of Emperor Justinian II (685–695). In 1453, when the capital of Byzantium fell under the onslaught of the Turks, the priest Gregory Polyeuctus, secretly taking the venerated relics, went first to Serbia, and in 1456 brought them to the island of Corfu (Kerkyra in Greek), where in the temple of St. Spiridon , they are stored to this day.
A little history and geography:
Cyprus is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, with an area of 9251 sq. km. The island stretches 240 km from west to east and 100 km from north to south. Cyprus is located in the north-eastern part of the Mediterranean at a distance of 380 km from Egypt, 105 km from Syria and 75 km from Turkey.
35% of the island's territory supported by Turkish occupation forces controls self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), 3.7% - UN (buffer zone), 2.7% - Great Britain (military bases), the rest - Republic of Cyprus. The capital of the Republic of Cyprus is Nicosia. In fact, Nicosia is divided into two parts - Greek and Turkish. The northern part of the city is controlled by the TRNC, the southern by the Republic of Cyprus.
The advantageous strategic position of Cyprus in the Mediterranean Sea contributed to the fact that during its history it changed hands more than once, remaining on the periphery of various empires. Having become part of Byzantium in 395, it was captured by the troops of Richard the Lionheart in 1191 during the Third Crusade. In 1192, the island was handed over to the French crusader Guy de Lusignan, who founded the Lusignan dynasty, which later ruled the Kingdom of Cyprus.
In 1489, the last queen of Cyprus, Eugenia Cornaro, gave the island to the Venetian Republic, which was defeated by the Turks in 1571. Ottoman rule in Cyprus continued until 1878. In 1878, the Cyprus Convention (a secret treaty on a “defensive alliance” directed against Russia) was concluded between the British Empire and Turkey. Great Britain pledged to help the Ottoman Empire “by force of arms” if Russia tried to acquire new territories in Asia Minor. In exchange, Türkiye agreed to the British occupation of the island of Cyprus. The convention was annulled by the British on November 5, 1914 due to Turkey's entry into the First World War on the side of Germany. As a result, the island of Cyprus was annexed by Great Britain.
In 1955, the people's war for independence began, which lasted until 1959. In 1960 A new independent state, the Republic of Cyprus, appeared on the world map. However, having received freedom, the island soon became the scene of clashes between the Greek and Turkish communities. In July 1974 on the island (with the support came to power in Greece military junta "Black Colonels") there was a military coup. Control of the island fell into the hands of the Greek underground organization EOKA, which promoted the idea of Cyprus joining Greece (enosis). As a result, on July 20, 1974, Turkish troops landed in Cyprus under the pretext of protecting Turkish Cypriots and occupied about 35% of the island’s territory, which led to its actual split into two separate parts, which continues to this day. In 1974-1975, an “exchange” of population took place: Turkish Cypriots almost completely moved to the part of Cyprus occupied by Turkish troops, and Greek Cypriots moved to the south of the island. On February 13, 1975, the leadership of the Turkish community unilaterally proclaimed in the northern part of the island the so-called “Turkish Federative State of Northern Cyprus” as part of the Republic of Cyprus . According to the Turkish Cypriots, this was an attempt to force the Greeks to create a federal state instead of a unitary one. But the idea was not supported by the Greek Cypriots. After 8 years of unsuccessful attempts to negotiate with the Republic of Cyprus, the North declared its independence in 1983. The new state became known as the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), its capital being the northern part of the city of Nicosia. The TRNC is separated from the rest of Cyprus security zone ( or buffer zone). The line that divides the island is called the Green Line and is guarded by the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP).
Total population number of islands about 1 million people (2007), of which 265 thousand are Turks. Also in Cyprus live 2 7 thousand Englishmen, 1 0 thousand Russians, 2 thousand Armenians.
On May 1, 2004, the Greek part of Cyprus joined the European Union. All the benefits and benefits that Cyprus received from joining this organization apply only to its Greek part. The European Union continues to consider Northern Cyprus as an EU territory under foreign military occupation.
Map of Cyprus with the designation of the Turkish zone of occupation and located
on it the villages of Askia and Tremefusya
Map of Cyprus
Large map of. Cyprus
O. Cyprus (view from space)
O. Cyprus (view from space)
View from space
Cypriot villages of Askeia and Tremetousia,view from space
Tremefusya (Tremetousia)
Tremefusya village(village Tremetousia), view from space
Tremefusya village(village Tremetousia), view from space
Tremefusya village(village Tremetousia), view from space
Tremefusya village(village Tremetousia), view from space
Askia ( Askeia)
VillageAskia(village Askeia), view from space
VillageAskia(village Askeia), view from space
All Orthodox churches in the villages of Askia and Tremefusya have been desecrated and destroyed. Some have been converted into mosques.
Askia village. Orthodox church desecrated and dilapidated by the Turks
Origin
Saint Spyridon of Trimifuntsky, commemorated December 25, was born on the island of Cyprus in the village of Askia. From his childhood, Saint Spyridon tended sheep and imitated the Old Testament righteous with an immaculate life: David in meekness, Jacob in kindness of heart, Abraham in love for strangers.
But a solitary lifestyle did not turn the hardworking shepherd of a dumb flock into a closed person with a wild disposition, busy only with looking after the cattle. Young Spyridon turned all his thoughts and hopes to God. And thanks to unceasing prayers and psalmody, he succeeded in living an immaculate life
The meek and gentle young man was silent, modest and non-covetous.
For the unceasing memory of God and good deeds, the Lord endowed the future saint with gifts: clairvoyance, healing the incurable sick and casting out demons
In adulthood, Saint Spyridon became the father of a family.
Bishopric and works of faith
After the death of his wife, during the reign of Constantine the Great (324-337) and his son Constantius (337-361), Saint Spyridon was elected bishop of the Cypriot city of Trimifunta
In his person the flock acquired a loving father.
As a bishop, Saint Spyridon showed his flock an example of a virtuous life and hard work: she tended sheep and harvested grain. He was extremely concerned about the strict observance of church rites and the preservation of the entire integrity of the Holy Scriptures. The saint strictly rebuked priests who in their sermons inaccurately used the words of the Gospel and other inspired books.
His extraordinary kindness and spiritual responsiveness attracted many to him: the homeless found shelter in his house, wanderers found food and rest.
Saint Spyridon is often likened to the prophet Elijah, for also through his prayer it rained during droughts that often threatened the island of Cyprus
Sozomen wrote in his “Ecclesiastical History.” “You also need to know how he received strangers. One day, after the approach of Lent, a wanderer knocked on his house. Seeing that the traveler was very tired, Saint Spyridon said to his daughter: “Wash this man’s feet and offer him something to eat.” But due to fasting, the necessary supplies were not made, for the saint “ate food only on a certain day, and on others he remained without food.” Therefore, the daughter replied that there was no bread or flour in the house. Then Saint Spyridon, apologizing to the guest, ordered his daughter to fry the salted pork meat that was in stock and, having seated the wanderer at the table, began to eat, “convincing that man to imitate himself. When the latter, calling himself a Christian, refused, he added: “It is all the less necessary to refuse, for the Word of God has spoken: All things are pure (Titus 1:15).”
There is also a story about how thieves decided to steal the sheep of Saint Spyridon: in the dead of night they climbed into a sheepfold, but immediately found themselves tied by an invisible force. When morning came, the saint came to the herd and, seeing the bound robbers, prayed, untied them and for a long time persuaded them to leave their lawless path and earn food by honest labor. Then, giving them a sheep each and sending them away, he said kindly: “Let it not be in vain that you kept watch.”
Ecumenical Council
In 325, Emperor Constantine convened 318 bishops for an Ecumenical Council in Nicaea.
The most important act of the Council was the affirmation of the Orthodox confession of faith and the denunciation of the teachings of Presbyter Arius and his followers.
Arius argued that our Lord Jesus Christ is not eternal, for he has a beginning of His existence. He is the creation of the Father, begotten by Him to create the world. According to Arius, the Son is lower in rank than the Father, has a different essence and is God only in name, and not true God, since the Divine glory is communicated to Him from the Father by the sacrament of grace.
At the Council, the faithful confessors of Christ subjected a thorough and comprehensive study to the teachings of Arius and reflected on how to refute his heresy. The Emperor ordered famous philosophers to be invited to the Council. But soon one of the invitees joined Arius and confronted the accusers of heretics. He has the gift of eloquence and a special power of persuasion. His speech attracted a considerable part of the audience present at the Council.
Spiridon saw that the philosopher was directing his knowledge against the Orthodox faith. The venerable servant of Christ asked the Fathers of the Council to allow him to enter into a fight with the heretic and turned to the zealous Arian:
“In the name of Jesus Christ, listen to me, O philosopher!”
“If you can object to me in any way, speak up,” replied the learned husband.
“There is only one God!” - exclaimed the saint. - “He, having created heaven and earth, and from the earth man, created everything visible and invisible by the Word and the Holy Spirit. The Son of God is the Word whom we worship and believe that Christ, for the sake of our salvation, was born of the Virgin. He is of one essence with the Father and has equal power and dignity with Him. Therefore, They should be honored equally. The Son of God, by the cross and death, freed us from ancient condemnation, and by His resurrection gave us eternal life. Christ, we expect, will come again and be the Judge of all our deeds and words.”
Besides everything, Spiridon did something unexpected. He picked up a brick and, having said a prayer, squeezed it in his hands. Glory to Thee, Christ God! Fire flared up in the hands of the holy elder, water flowed, and wet clay remained. The brick, by the power of God, decomposed into its component parts. “Look, philosopher,” Spyridon addresses the defender of Arianism, “there is one plinth (brick), but there are three in it: clay, fire and water. So our God is one, but there are three Persons in Him: the Father, the Word and the Spirit.” In such a miraculous way, Saint Spyridon proved that just as a brick consists of these three components (water, clay, fire), so the Holy Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit, being simultaneously Three Persons, constitutes One Whole (Monad). Earthly wisdom should have fallen silent against such arguments.
After all that had happened, turning to his friends, the philosopher said: “Listen! While the competition with me was carried out through evidence, I set up others against some evidence and, with my art of argument, reflected everything that was presented to me. But when, instead of proof from reason, some special power began to emanate from the mouth of this old man, evidence became powerless against it, since a person cannot resist God. If any of you can think the same way as I do, then let him believe in Christ and, together with me, follow this old man, through whose mouth God Himself spoke.”
Thus a clash of truth and cunning language took place, but victory did not lie with empty rhetoric, but with the holy teaching of the Church, for the confession of God is not in convincing words of human wisdom, but in the manifestation of the Spirit and power (1 Cor. 2:4).
Perfect miracles
According to church tradition, Saint Spyridon, through his prayer, performed many miracles.
The power of his prayer could cause not only a storm or drought, but also the waters parted through his faith and prayer.
Envious people slandered one of Saint Spyridon's friends, and he was imprisoned and sentenced to death. The saint hurried to help, but a stormy stream blocked his path. Remembering how Joshua crossed the overflowing Jordan (Joshua 3:14-17), the saint, with firm faith in the omnipotence of God, offered up a prayer, and the stream parted. Together with his companions, unwitting eyewitnesses of the miracle, Saint Spyridon crossed over dry land to the other shore. Warned of what had happened, the judge greeted the saint with honor and released the innocent man.
One day, during a service, the oil in the lamp burned out, and it began to fade. The saint was upset, but the Lord consoled him: the lamp was miraculously filled with oil.
There is a known case when angels invisibly served Saint Spyridon, and after each litany the angels were heard singing: “Lord, have mercy.”
The saint healed the seriously ill Emperor Constantius;
He revived his dead daughter Irina so that she would tell where she hid the jewelry given to her for safekeeping by a noble lady, after which Irina’s soul left her body again;
In Antioch, he resurrected the infant child of a pagan woman, and then the mother herself, who had fallen dead from shock at the miracle she had seen.
Spyridon always said that God performs miracles, and he is only a conductor of His will. To confirm these words, he showed another miracle of healing. And indeed, all the saint did was simply read a prayer over the suffering person and ask the Lord for help.
Having a loving heart, the saint was at the same time strict when he saw unrepentance and persistence in sin. So he predicted the grave death of a woman who had not repented of the grave sin of adultery, and once punished with temporary illness a deacon who was proud of the beauty of his voice.
And Spiridon’s death itself became a continuation of the miracle. The Lord revealed to Saint Spyridon that his death was approaching. The saint's last words were about love for God and neighbors.
Repose and Glorification
Around 348, during prayer, Saint Spyridon reposed in the Lord.
He was buried in the church in honor of the holy apostles in the city of Trimifunt.
In the middle of the 7th century, the relics of the saint were transferred to Constantinople, and in 1453 - to the island of Kerkyra in the Ionian Sea (the Greek name of the island is Corfu).
Here, in the city of the same name, Kerkyra (the main city of the island), the holy relics of St. Spyridon are still preserved in the temple named after him.
The gum (right) hand was in Rome for some time.
In 1984, the right hand was returned from Rome to Corfu and is currently kept in a silver casket along with the rest of the relics.
After his death, the relics of Saint Spyridon not only remain incorruptible, but his body retains the temperature of a living person at 36.6 degrees!
His relics are not kept in any special conditions, they are opened twice a day, for veneration by parishioners and the relics do not change.
The monks in Corfu believe that the saint walks the earth, visiting those who need his help. Its cancer itself is locked with a key. Sometimes it happens that the monks want to unlock the shrine, but the key jams and does not want to turn at all. This means that the saint is not in cancer, he walks on the earth. And another time the key turns easily, without difficulty - the saint has returned. And three times a year, his worn-out boots are removed, cut into pieces and distributed to believers.
One of the shoes was donated to the Moscow Danilov Monastery
Evidence of miracles being performed
Saint Spyridon is revered as a great intercessor and deliverer from various troubles and misfortunes. There is plenty of evidence that he visits the sick. There were a lot of healings of people with cancer. People suffering from other diseases are also healed. Those in need come to the saint, turning to him with their problems and troubles. The saint gives healing to the sick, those living in sins - correction and forgiveness. Spiridon relieves drought, hunger and need, takes care of widows and orphans. The miracle worker provides special assistance in the successful arrangement of land and property affairs. Many clergy directly felt the intercession of Saint Spyridon when they prayerfully called on the miracle worker to help parishes and monasteries in returning the temples, church buildings and lands that had been taken away during the years of persecution of the Church.
Saint Spyridon of Trimifunt has been revered in Rus' since ancient times. The “solstice”, or “turn of the sun for summer” (December 25 of the new style), coinciding with the memory of the saint, was called in Rus' “Spiridon’s turn”. Saint Spyridon enjoyed special veneration in ancient Novgorod and Moscow. In 1633, a temple was erected in Moscow in the name of the saint.
In the Moscow Church of the Resurrection of the Word on the Assumption Vrazhek (1634) there are two revered icons of St. Spyridon with a particle of his holy relics.
The miracles performed by Saint Spyridon continue.
Not at all a recent confirmed miracle that happened to the inhabitants of Corfu.
While far out to sea, the fishermen were caught in a strong storm, and their boat was severely damaged. And so, when it became clear that the fishermen would inevitably die, one of them called out to Spyridon for help, and a miracle happened almost instantly!
All of them, along with the boat, were somehow carried to the shore and thrown onto the sandy shore.
As soon as the fishermen got to the house, this fisherman immediately went to the church to thank St. Spyridon for saving him.
And when they opened the reliquary with the relics of the Saint, everyone saw small pebbles and still damp sand in the feet and shoes of Spyridon.
The saint performs miracles every day.
Saint Spyridon helps everyone.
Saint Spyridon of Trimifuntsky, pray to God for us!
Material prepared by: Sokolowski A.
The island of Corfu (or Kerkyra in Greek) is located in the northeastern part of the Ionian Sea. The length of the island is 120 km, the width of the island is from 4 to 40 km, the length of the coastline is 217 km. Corfu is the second largest island in the Ionian Sea after Kefalonia. It is the northernmost of the entire group of Ionian islands and is considered the most beautiful. Its territory is covered with lush vegetation, among which the most common are cypress, olive and citrus trees.
The capital of the island is the city of Kerkyra. In 2001, its population was about 40,000 inhabitants, among them: Italians, Greeks, Jews. The city was founded in the 8th century. BC The Romans, Byzantines, Goths, Venetians, Turks, French, and English argued for the right to own Kerkyra. All the conquerors, trying to leave the island behind, built many palaces and fortresses, so Kerkyra is a unique combination of different cultures. The Old Town traces its history back to the 13th century. This is the largest "living" medieval complex in Greece. The appearance of the city most strongly shows the influence of the Venetians, who ruled here for 400 years. The Venetians decorated Corfu with monuments, squares, churches and multi-storey buildings with red roofs, so that it looked like an Italian city of the Renaissance. After them, power over the city and the entire island first passed to the French and then to the British. Now the island of Corfu belongs to Greece.
The patron saint of the city of Corfu is Saint Spyridon , whose relics are kept in the church built in 1590. They pray to him, children are named in his honor - he is the most beloved and revered saint on the island of Corfu. It is believed that he saved the island four times: twice from plague, once from famine and once from Turkish invaders. The bell tower of this church is the tallest building in the city.
Corfu Island (Greece), map, view from space
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| Panorama of the city of Kerkyra (Corfu island, Greece) |
City of Kerkyra (Corfu Island, Greece)
In 2002, a monument to Admiral F.F. was opened in Corfu near the New Fortress. Ushakov (1745-1817), which is a bas-relief made of marble and bronze (sculptor V. Aidinov). One of the streets of the city of Kerkyra has long been named after the Russian admiral. At the end of the distant 18th century, Russian troops under the command of a Russian naval commander knocked out the French from the local fortress, which allowed the Greeks to gain freedom. This was the pinnacle of Ushakov’s naval and Christian service. Even Suvorov regretted: “Why wasn’t I at least a midshipman at Corfu then!” On March 27, the first day of Holy Easter, Ushakov scheduled a solemn service with the removal of the relics of St.Spyridon of Trimifuntsky. In memory of the liberation of Corfu, the grateful inhabitants of the island presented the admiral with a golden sword studded with diamonds. In 2001, Feodor Ushakov was canonized. Now in the Church of St. Spiridon a gift from Russia is kept - an icon of the holy righteous warrior Theodore (Ushakov) with particles of his relics"
City of Kerkyra (Corfu island, Greece), monument to Russian admiral Fyodor Ushakov
City of Kerkyra (Corfu Island, Greece)
Temple of the SaintSpyridon of TrimifuntskySaint's ChurchSpyridon of Trimifuntsky- an Orthodox church on the island of Corfu, located in the center of Kerkyra. The temple is the location of the relics of the saint, who is rightfully revered as the heavenly patron of the island.
The original church of the saint Spiridon was located in another area of the city, but during the construction of the city walls it had to be demolished. The current temple was built in 1590. The building was built in a style typical of the Ionian Islands and is unlike other churches in Greece. The rest of Greece still strictly follows Byzantine architectural patterns, while in the Ionian Islands, heavily influenced by 17th-century Italian architecture, the churches are small and low, with impressive belfries.
Ceiling of the Saint's Church Spiridon painted in 1727 by Payotis Doxaras, who studied in Rome and Venice and was a passionate admirer of Tintoretto, Titian and Veronese. However, Doxaras's creations died due to dampness and in the middle of the 19th century were replaced by copies of the work of N. Aspiotis.
Ancient church of the saint Spiridon was considered the richest in the East; not only Orthodox Christians, but also Catholics donated to the temple. Numerous contributions were made by the Russian imperial house, in particular by Empress Catherine II and Emperor Paul I. In the temple, the visitor is amazed by the huge gold and silver chandeliers, the marble iconostasis, and unusual-looking icons in gold frames on the vault. Throughout the cathedral and above the shrine with the relics of the saint Spiridon A large number of metal figurines hang on chains: ships, cars, individual body parts - signs of gratitude from parishioners and pilgrims who received help from the saint.
In 1801, after the liberation of the island from Napoleon's troops by Admiral Theodore Ushakov (canonized), the temple of St. Spiridon in Kerkyra was accepted under the special protection of Russia, as a sign of which the imperial coat of arms was installed above its western gates (by 1807 this protection retained only a nominal character, since under the terms of the Treaty of Tilsit, signed by Alexander I and Napoleon, the Ionian Islands went to France).
During the Second World War, an aerial bomb dropped from an airplane on the church of St. Spiridon , exploded in the air without causing any damage to the building.
To understand how revered Spyridon of Trimythos is in Corfu, you need to spend several hours in the temple. It seems that this is the center of attraction for all the inhabitants of the island, the place around which their entire unhurried, measured life is built. Throughout the day, the temple is never empty for a minute. And it’s not just the numerous pilgrims. Local residents constantly come here, venerate the shrine with the relics of the saint, and take candles. Unlike our churches, they sell not only small, but also huge candles - almost as tall as a person. They are placed on the street, in front of the entrance to the cathedral, where a special candlestick is equipped. Elderly people sit reverently in the temple, watching what is happening. Usually at five o'clock in the evening the shrine with the relics of the saint is opened, and a huge line forms of those wishing to venerate the shrine. By the grace of God the honest relics of St. Spiridon have been preserved incorruptible and, what is especially remarkable, the skin of his flesh has the softness usual for the human body.Temple of St. Spyridon of Trimifuntsky locatedon Agios Spyridonos (St. Spyridon) street, facing itnorthern façade of the building
Street St. Spiridona ( Agiou Spiridonos)
Address of the Church of St. Spyridon of Trimifuntsky on the island. Corfu:
The Church of Agios (Saint) Spyridon, Agiou Spyridonos 32, Corfu 49100, Greece
Beginning of the street St. Spyridona
Bell tower of the Church of St. Spyridon of Trimifuntsky,
Temple of St. Spyridon of Trimifuntsky,Kerkyra city (Corfu island, Greece)
Relics of the saint until the second half of the 7th century. rested in the city of Trimifunt, and then due to Arab raids they, probably by order of Emperor Justinian II (685–695), were transferred to Constantinople. In 1453, when the capital of Byzantium fell under the onslaught of the Turks, the priest Gregory Polyeuctus, secretly taking the venerated relics, went first to Thespriotian Paramythia (modern Serbia), and in 1456 brought them to the island of Corfu (Kerkyra in Greek), where they were looking for saving many refugees from Byzantium. In Kerkyra, Polieuctos gave the sacred remains into the possession of his compatriot, the priest George Kalocheretis. The latter bequeathed a valuable treasure to his sons Philip and Luke. Philip's daughter Asimia in 1527 married the Corkyresian Stamatius Voulgaris. Her father inherited the relics from her Spiridon , and from then until the 60s of the 20th century, the remains of the saint belonged to the Voulgaris family. At this moment the relics of St.Spyridon of Trimifuntskybelong to the Church of Corfu (ed. - the shrine was not immediately transferred to the Holy Metropolis of Kerkyra, Pax and the Diapontine Islands, because in the will of Priest George Kaloheretis it was said that the holy relics would belong to the Kaloheretis family and should be passed on from generation to generation until this each generation will produce one priest. However, in the 60s of the 20th century, Metropolitan Methodius of Kerkyra did not ordain a single representative of this family as priests, as a result of which the holy relics came into the possession of the Kerkyra Metropolis).
It is unknown when and for what reasons the right hand was separated from the relics of the saint. According to the testimony of Christodoulus Voulgaris (the great archpriest of Corfu, who lived in the 17th century), in 1592 the right hand was delivered from Constantinople to Rome to Pope Clement VIII, who in 1606 handed over the shrine to Cardinal Cesare Baronio. The cardinal, a famous Catholic church historian, in turn, gave the right hand to the Church of the Mother of God (S. Maria in Vallicella) in Rome, as evidenced by the corresponding entry in the church archives. L. S. Vrokinis, a Greek historian, referring to Christodoulus Voulgaris, wrote that the right hand was in the temple of the Mother of God in a cone-shaped gilded repository of non-Byzantine work, about half a meter high. In November 1984, on the eve of the feast of St. Spyridon , through the efforts of the Metropolitan of Kerkyra, Paxi and the nearby islands Timothy, the shrine was returned to the Church of Kerkyra.
View of the temple from the chapel in which the relics of St. Spyridon of Trimifuntsky rest
Relics of Saint Spyridon They are amazing with their very appearance - by God’s Grace they are completely incorruptible. These are amazing relics - they weigh as much as the body of an adult man and miraculously do not lose the properties of living flesh, have the temperature of a human body and remain soft. Until now, scientists from different countries and religions come to Kerkyra in order to study the incorruptible relics of the Saint, but after careful consideration they come to the conclusion that no laws or forces of nature can explain the phenomenon of incorruption of these relics, which have remained intact for almost 1700 years ; that there is no other explanation other than a miracle; that the almighty power of God is undoubtedly at work here.
The miraculous relics of the saintSpyridon of Trimifuntsky
The famous velvet shoes of St. Spyridon of Trimifuntsky, whichthey change it often, because... the soles are constantly worn down
It is also a miracle that the patron saint of wanderers St. Spiridnos Trimifuntsky to this day he himself never ceases to “wander,” helping everyone who turns to him with faith in prayer. In the Orthodox world he is revered as a “walking” saint - the velvet shoes worn on his feet wear out and are replaced with new ones several times a year. And the worn-out shoes are cut into pieces and handed over to believers as a great shrine. According to the testimony of Greek clergy, during the “change of shoes” a response movement is felt.
It is impossible to tell about all the miracles that the saint performed Spiridon during his earthly life, but also after death, when he became closer to God, the saint does not cease to perform them. Throughout the temple and above the sarcophagus with the relics there are “tama” hanging on chains, silver plates with a convex image of the figure of the whole person or individual parts of the body: heart, eyes, hands, feet, as well as silver boats, cars, many lamps - these are gifts from people, who received healing or help from the saint Spiridona.
Cancer with the relics of St. Spiridon . Offerings of believers.
The reliquary with relics has two locks, which can be opened with two keys at the same time. Only two people can open a cancer. And when the key doesn’t turn, it means it’s considered to be on the island, Saint Spiridon “absent”: helping someone. This story is retold from mouth to mouth.
Cancer with the relics of St.Spyridon of Trimifuntsky
The right hand of St. Spyridon of Trimifuntsky,returned by Catholics in 1984 to the Greek Orthodox Church
In Kerkyra on the day of the blessed death of the saint Spiridon a solemn celebration takes place in his honor and memory: the reliquary with the holy relics of the Saint is carried out from the chapel to a special place near the iconostasis, to the right of the local icon of the Savior, for three days (from Vespers on December 11 (24) to Vespers on December 13 (26) and prayer chants to the Saint. There are four more days a year when, according to a long-standing tradition, the memory of the Saint is honored in an unusually colorful and emotional way. An expression of love and gratitude to him is the holding of religious processions with the relics of the Saint (Litanies), which were installed in memory of the miraculous help of the saint Spiridon residents of the island. Litanies are performed on Palm Sunday (Vayi week), Great (Holy) Saturday, August 11 and the first Sunday in November.
In d no holidays, a glass-covered sarcophagus with the relics of St. Spiridon is taken out of the silver shrine, placed in a vertical position, and then carried on a stretcher on the shoulders of four clergymen under a special gold-woven canopy. The sarcophagus with the relics of the Saint on a stretcher is carried on the shoulders of four clergymen under a special gold-woven canopy. The holy relics are preceded by bishops, clergy of all ranks, a choir, military brass bands, and candle bearers in ceremonial robes, holding thick candles with a diameter of more than 15 centimeters. They are carried in special belts slung over the shoulder. The ringing of bells floats over the city, marches of brass bands and church chants sound. There are people standing in dense rows on both sides of the street. Along the route there are stops for reading the Gospel, litanies and kneeling prayers. Closer to the temple, many people, hoping to receive healing, go out to the middle of the pavement in front of the procession and lie on their backs, face up, placing their children next to them so that the incorruptible relics of St. Spyridon will be carried over them in the ark.
Procession with the relics of St. Spiridon (Kerkyra, Corfu)
It seems that these days everyone comes out to the streets of the city decorated with flags and flowers: local residents and numerous pilgrims, scout troops and representatives of various branches of the military. Perfect order, goodwill, mutual respect, and sincere empathy for everything that happens reigns everywhere. The police only restrict the entry of cars into those streets along which the religious procession takes place. Anyone who cannot go outside meets the saint(Kerkyra, Corfu)
TOThe religious procession (Litany) on Palm Sunday is held in memory of the deliverance of the inhabitants of Kerkyra from the bubonic plague. In 1629–1630, a plague pandemic broke out on the island. All the efforts of the authorities to tame her were in vain. Young and old men and women in towns and villages died daily from this incurable disease. The island was threatened with complete devastation. Contrary to the recommendations of doctors to avoid crowded gatherings due to the risk of infection, local residents gathered in the temple and begged the Lord and the saint Spiridon save them from certain death. At night, the city guards from the high fortress wall saw a wonderful radiance over the Saint’s temple, something similar to the light of an unearthly lamp. After this, despite the lack of appropriate medicines, the disease began to decline and completely stopped before Palm Sunday. This religious procession is the longest, as it passes along the street that outlines the perimeter of the city, where the city walls were located at that time.
A week later, on Holy Saturday, another religious procession takes place, which was approved in memory of the miraculous salvation of the island's inhabitants from hunger; it is considered the earliest in time. At the beginning of the 16th century, there was a severe drought in Kerkyra, and a terrible famine began. During these difficult days, people gathered in the church of St. Spyridon and day and night they prayed to their intercessor for help. And the rescue did not delay: three sailing ships, loaded with grain, were on their way to Italy, but when they passed by Kerkyra, the sailors saw that the ships themselves suddenly changed course and headed towards the island; The wind also changed to help them. On Holy Saturday, ships delivered the life-saving cargo to the harbor. Surprised sailors told local residents that ahead of the sailing ships, as if showing the way, an old man dressed in a cassock was moving; he promised them a good reward: the sailors heard a strong voice that repeated several times: “Towards Kerkyra. People are starving there. You will be paid, you will pay. Towards Kerkyra."
As in the days of his earthly life in Cyprus, so after his death, the merciful Spyridon did not leave the hungry without help. In memory of the miraculous salvation, the Venetian government established a religious procession with the holy relics of St. Spyridon every Holy Saturday. On this day, the sacred procession begins at 9 a.m. and is particularly majestic. After returning to the church, the celibate relics are displayed for three days - until sunset on Tuesday of Easter week - for the veneration of believers. The religious procession on August 11th takes place in memory of the salvation of Kerkyra from the Turkish invasion in 1716. On June 24, the island was besieged by a fifty-thousand-strong Turkish army; it was blocked from the sea by ships of the Ottoman Porte. Residents of the city, under the leadership of Count Schulenburg, desperately tried to repel the attacks of the infidels with weapons in their hands, but the forces of the defenders after forty-six days of bloody battles were running out. Women, children and old people gathered in the sacred church of the saint Spiridon and prayed on their knees. The Turks had already appointed the day of the general battle, which most likely would have been the last for the townspeople.
Suddenly, on the night of August 10, a terrible thunderstorm, unprecedented at this time of year, broke out - the island was literally flooded with torrents of water. At dawn the next day, when the defenders of the island were preparing to enter into a decisive battle, scouts reported that the Agarian trenches were empty and the bodies of drowned soldiers and officers lay everywhere. The survivors, abandoning their weapons and food, in horror, hastily retreated to the sea, trying to get on the ships, but many soldiers and officers were captured. It was they who said that over the walls of the fortress, in a stormy sky, the figure of a warrior suddenly appeared, holding a lighted candle and a sword in one hand, and a cross in the other. A whole host of angels followed him, and together they began to advance and drive the Turks away. According to the descriptions of the captives, local residents recognized in this heavenly warrior their protector and patron - the saintSpyridon of Trimifuntsky.
The unexpected rescue of the island from the Turkish invaders forced the local authorities to recognize the saint as the liberator of the island Spiridon . As a sign of gratitude, the ruler of the island, Admiral Andrea Pisani, presented the church with a silver pendant lamp with many lamps, and the local authorities decided that every year they would provide oil to light these lamps. A year later, on August 11, a holiday was established in honor of the Saint. It has been noticed that it is in this procession that the largest number of believers take part. After the procession returns to the church, the holy relics are exhibited for three days of veneration (until sunset on August 13).
Corfu is the only island in the Ionian Sea that has never been under Turkish rule. The locals are very proud of this. Spiridon and constantly prayed to the Lord and their heavenly patron for salvation. Their faith was not disgraced - hope in God never deceives those who have it. And this time, three days before the end of the epidemic, at the top of the bell tower, the city residents saw the radiance of an unearthly light, inside which the figure of the Saint with a cross in his hand was clearly visible. Saint Spiridon pursued the plague, which, taking the form of a black ghost, tried to elude the miracle worker.
To express their gratitude to the Saint, the inhabitants of the island turned to the authorities with a request to establish a day of celebration. On October 29, 1673, the Venetian government decided to hold a procession of the cross every year on the first Sunday of November in memory of the miraculous deliverance from the terrible disease.
Procession with the relics of St. Spiridon (Kerkyra, Corfu)
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The city of Trimifunt, the modern name of Tremetusia, became famous during the ministry of St. Spyridon, who was bishop here in the 4th century AD. Spyridon of Trimifuntsky is a Christian saint, revered by Orthodox and Catholics as saints as a miracle worker.
Commemoration in the Orthodox Church is December 25 (December 12 according to the Julian calendar), among Catholics it is December 14.
Saint Spyridon was born on the island of Cyprus in the village of Askia (located in the occupied territory of Northern Cyprus) around 270 AD. The relics of the saint were in Constantinople for a long time, but from the 15th century AD. were transported to the island of Corfu in the city of Kerkyra (Greece), where they currently reside. The saint’s body does not smolder, maintains the temperature of a living person, his shoes are changed twice a year, they wear out!
Having a fairly high clergy, Bishop Spyridon led the life of a simple shepherd and all his life he selflessly helped the needy, the homeless, and the sick. He instructed those who sincerely repented of their sins. During his lifetime he gained the greatest respect and love throughout the Christian world, and is now very much loved in Russia.
At the First Council of Nicaea, Spyridon of Trimythous, despite numerous temptations and provocations from heretics, helped defend the purity of the Orthodox faith. Having prayed to the Lord, the miracle worker took the plinth (a thin square brick made of baked clay) in his hands and squeezed it. A flame burst out from one end of the plinth, water flowed from the other, and clay remained in the hands of the saint. Thus, to the amazement of the heretics, the image of the Holy Trinity was demonstrated. If the three elements are united, they give the Divine image. If each element is understood separately, the image is destroyed and the truth of faith is lost. “Three Persons, but the Divinity is one,” said Spyridon. None of the Aryans and pagan Greek philosophers could object. The grueling debate is over!
Tremetousia (Trimifunt) is located in the north of the administrative region of Larnaca, one of four villages in this area that are currently located in the occupied territory of Northern Cyprus. Before the Turkish occupation of the region in 1974, the village was home to 244 Turks and 361 Greeks.
Until 1974, thousands of pilgrims annually flocked to the temple of St. Spyridon, which still stands in the center of the village, on the day of the saint’s memory. There were a lot of icons in the temple, there were icons from the 16th century, and ancient manuscripts were kept. After the Turkish invasion, about one and a half hundred icons (according to some estimates more) disappeared.
The Church of St. Spyridon has now been turned into a barracks. Soldiers from one of the Turkish military units are stationed here.
