Saint Patapios
Encyclopedia
Saint Patapios of Thebes (fl. 4th century AD) is the patron saint
of dropsy. Saint Patapios’ memory is celebrated on 8 December (main celebration) and also at the Tuesday 2 days after the Sunday of Easter (in memory of the day that his relic was discovered). His relic is kept at the female monastery of Saint Patapios at Loutraki
, a spa town
near Athens
, Greece
.
to wealthy Christian parents. Patapios, at a young age, lived the life of a hermit in the desert. Many visited him to take his advice and to listen to his preaching. Later in his life, Patapios left Thebes and the desert for Constantinople
. There he met two other ascetics, Varas and Ravoulas which both became saints. Saint Ravoulas was hermit at the gate of Romanos. Saint Varas built the monastery of St John the Baptist at Petrion.
St. Patapios lived at the area of Blachernae
at the Xero Oros (dry mountain) and he established a monastery
, the Monastery of the Egyptians, where he eventually died.
after the destruction of the Monastery of the Egyptians in 536 AD was transferred by Saint Varas to the Monastery of Saint John at Petrion, which during the last centuries of the Byzantine Empire
was under the protection of the royal family of Constantinople, the Palaiologoi, and especially the Augusta
Helena Dragaš
, the mother of the last Byzantine emperor, Constantine XI Palaiologos, who became a nun and a saint under the monastic name of Hypomone ("patience").
After the conquest of Constantinople
by the Ottoman Empire
in 1453, a relative of the Palailogos emperors and nephew of the Augusta helena, Aggelis Notaras, in order to protect the relic of Saint Patapios from the Ottomans, transferred it to Mount Geraneia
in southern Greece
, near the town Thermai (Loutraki
). There he hid it in a cave and a hermitage was established, but some centuries later it was abandoned. It has to be mentioned that the cave where the relic of Saint Patapios was transferred had actually funcitoned as a hermitage since the 11th century AD. It is located at a height of 650 meters (2132 feet).
. Some visitors of the cave took pieces of the saint's relic as an amulet
. Soon, a priest from Loutraki, Konstantinos Sousanis, took the relic of Saint Patapios and kept it at his house, with the church’s permission, to keep it safe.
In 1952, Father Nektarios (real name Kyriakos) Marmarinos, a priest
from Synoikismos of Corinth
, established a monastery at the site of the cave and the relic of the Saint was returned to the cave where it had been found. The first mother superior
was sister Synglitiki. Sister Patapia helped at the establishment and building of the monastery. She was mother superior from 1963 to 1970, when she resigned because of health problems. The next and current mother superior is sister Isidora.
Father Nektarios, the founder of the monastery, is still visiting the monastery. He has a rich Christian work and has established other monasteries as the male monastery The 3 Hierarchs (near the village Perachora) and a summer camp for children (called Bethlehem). He has also created a female nursing home in Loutraki (where nuns serve the elderly women). Today Elder Nektarios has retired. He has received numerous awards from the Church of Corinth which was chief officer. Even today, though in old age, every Sunday in the settlement of Corinth makes it even lectures on Christian content and Sunday school.
The monastery includes the hostels, cells for the 40 nuns, a church dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the cemetery (with the chapel of St. Mary of Egypt) and the katholikon
of the Holy Trinity. Finally there is an exhibition room for the visitors. The Cave of St. Patapios is beside the church. There they keep the holy relic of the saint, covered with a robe (that changes every year in the day if the saints' celebration). In the cave there are Byzantine icons (including St. Patapios and St. Patience) by an unknown artist, which have painted probably in 15th century. Many visitors take as a single amulet from the cave a bit of cotton soaked with holy oil (from the hanging oil - lamp burning in the cave of the Saint) and also take holy water from a source adjacent to the cave. The skull of Saint Hypomone is also kept at Saint Patapios' nunnery.
Patron saint
A patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...
of dropsy. Saint Patapios’ memory is celebrated on 8 December (main celebration) and also at the Tuesday 2 days after the Sunday of Easter (in memory of the day that his relic was discovered). His relic is kept at the female monastery of Saint Patapios at Loutraki
Loutraki
Loutraki is a seaside resort located 84 km W of Athens and 4 km NE of Corinth in the Prefecture of Corinthia, Greece. Loutraki is the seat of the municipality Loutraki-Perachora. The town is well-known for its vast natural springs and its therapeutic spas.-History:In antiquity a town...
, a spa town
Spa town
A spa town is a town situated around a mineral spa . Patrons resorted to spas to "take the waters" for their purported health benefits. The word comes from the Belgian town Spa. In continental Europe a spa was known as a ville d'eau...
near Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
.
Biography
St. Patapios was born in the 4th century A.D. in Thebes, EgyptThebes, Egypt
Thebes is the Greek name for a city in Ancient Egypt located about 800 km south of the Mediterranean, on the east bank of the river Nile within the modern city of Luxor. The Theban Necropolis is situated nearby on the west bank of the Nile.-History:...
to wealthy Christian parents. Patapios, at a young age, lived the life of a hermit in the desert. Many visited him to take his advice and to listen to his preaching. Later in his life, Patapios left Thebes and the desert for Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
. There he met two other ascetics, Varas and Ravoulas which both became saints. Saint Ravoulas was hermit at the gate of Romanos. Saint Varas built the monastery of St John the Baptist at Petrion.
St. Patapios lived at the area of Blachernae
Blachernae
Blachernae was a suburb in the northwestern section of Constantinople, the capital city of the Byzantine Empire. It was the site of a spring and a number of prominent churches were built there, most notably the great Church of St. Mary of Blachernae , built by Empress Pulcheria in circa 450,...
at the Xero Oros (dry mountain) and he established a monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
, the Monastery of the Egyptians, where he eventually died.
Veneration of his relic
St. Patapios' relicRelic
In religion, a relic is a part of the body of a saint or a venerated person, or else another type of ancient religious object, carefully preserved for purposes of veneration or as a tangible memorial...
after the destruction of the Monastery of the Egyptians in 536 AD was transferred by Saint Varas to the Monastery of Saint John at Petrion, which during the last centuries of the Byzantine Empire
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
was under the protection of the royal family of Constantinople, the Palaiologoi, and especially the Augusta
Augusta (honorific)
Augusta was the imperial honorific title of empresses. It was given to the women of the Roman and Byzantine imperial families. In the third century, Augustae could also receive the titles of Mater castrorum and Mater Patriae .The title implied the greatest prestige, with the Augustae able to...
Helena Dragaš
Helena Dragaš
Helena Dragaš Helena was born to Constantine Dragaš of the noble House of Dejanović. Constantine was a Serbian provincial lord, ruling one of the principalities that emerged after the breakup of the Serbian Empire, centered at Velbăžd . Her mother was Constantine's unnamed first wife...
, the mother of the last Byzantine emperor, Constantine XI Palaiologos, who became a nun and a saint under the monastic name of Hypomone ("patience").
After the conquest of Constantinople
Fall of Constantinople
The Fall of Constantinople was the capture of the capital of the Byzantine Empire, which occurred after a siege by the Ottoman Empire, under the command of Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II, against the defending army commanded by Byzantine Emperor Constantine XI...
by the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
in 1453, a relative of the Palailogos emperors and nephew of the Augusta helena, Aggelis Notaras, in order to protect the relic of Saint Patapios from the Ottomans, transferred it to Mount Geraneia
Geraneia
Mount Geraneia or Gerania , rarely Yerania is a mountain range that spans about 5 km from north to south and from east to west from 15 to 20 km. Mount Geraneia or Gerania , rarely Yerania is a mountain range that spans about 5 km from north to south (about 5 km N of Agioi Theodoroi to the Gulf of...
in southern Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, near the town Thermai (Loutraki
Loutraki
Loutraki is a seaside resort located 84 km W of Athens and 4 km NE of Corinth in the Prefecture of Corinthia, Greece. Loutraki is the seat of the municipality Loutraki-Perachora. The town is well-known for its vast natural springs and its therapeutic spas.-History:In antiquity a town...
). There he hid it in a cave and a hermitage was established, but some centuries later it was abandoned. It has to be mentioned that the cave where the relic of Saint Patapios was transferred had actually funcitoned as a hermitage since the 11th century AD. It is located at a height of 650 meters (2132 feet).
Establishment of the nunnery
The cave with the saint's relic was discovered in 1904 by citizens of LoutrakiLoutraki
Loutraki is a seaside resort located 84 km W of Athens and 4 km NE of Corinth in the Prefecture of Corinthia, Greece. Loutraki is the seat of the municipality Loutraki-Perachora. The town is well-known for its vast natural springs and its therapeutic spas.-History:In antiquity a town...
. Some visitors of the cave took pieces of the saint's relic as an amulet
Amulet
An amulet, similar to a talisman , is any object intended to bring good luck or protection to its owner.Potential amulets include gems, especially engraved gems, statues, coins, drawings, pendants, rings, plants and animals; even words said in certain occasions—for example: vade retro satana—, to...
. Soon, a priest from Loutraki, Konstantinos Sousanis, took the relic of Saint Patapios and kept it at his house, with the church’s permission, to keep it safe.
In 1952, Father Nektarios (real name Kyriakos) Marmarinos, a priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
from Synoikismos of Corinth
Corinth
Corinth is a city and former municipality in Corinthia, Peloponnese, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Corinth, of which it is the seat and a municipal unit...
, established a monastery at the site of the cave and the relic of the Saint was returned to the cave where it had been found. The first mother superior
Mother Superior
A mother superior is an abbess or other nun in charge of a Christian religious order or congregation, a convent or house of women under vows.Mother superior may also refer to:*Mother Superior , a rock band who became ¾ of Rollins Band circa 2000...
was sister Synglitiki. Sister Patapia helped at the establishment and building of the monastery. She was mother superior from 1963 to 1970, when she resigned because of health problems. The next and current mother superior is sister Isidora.
Father Nektarios, the founder of the monastery, is still visiting the monastery. He has a rich Christian work and has established other monasteries as the male monastery The 3 Hierarchs (near the village Perachora) and a summer camp for children (called Bethlehem). He has also created a female nursing home in Loutraki (where nuns serve the elderly women). Today Elder Nektarios has retired. He has received numerous awards from the Church of Corinth which was chief officer. Even today, though in old age, every Sunday in the settlement of Corinth makes it even lectures on Christian content and Sunday school.
The monastery includes the hostels, cells for the 40 nuns, a church dedicated to the Virgin Mary, the cemetery (with the chapel of St. Mary of Egypt) and the katholikon
Katholikon
A Katholikon or Catholicon is the major temple of a monastery, or diocese in the Eastern Orthodox Church. The name derives from the fact that it is the largest temple where all gather together to celebrate the major feast days of the liturgical year. At other times, the smaller temples or...
of the Holy Trinity. Finally there is an exhibition room for the visitors. The Cave of St. Patapios is beside the church. There they keep the holy relic of the saint, covered with a robe (that changes every year in the day if the saints' celebration). In the cave there are Byzantine icons (including St. Patapios and St. Patience) by an unknown artist, which have painted probably in 15th century. Many visitors take as a single amulet from the cave a bit of cotton soaked with holy oil (from the hanging oil - lamp burning in the cave of the Saint) and also take holy water from a source adjacent to the cave. The skull of Saint Hypomone is also kept at Saint Patapios' nunnery.
Miracles
Saint Patapios is well known for the miracles that he did in the past and still does nowadays, which are recorded with full details in the historical archives of the monastery which maintains a large library.Reference
- "Agiologio of Orthodoxy," [Christos Tsolakidis, Athens, 2001 edition]
- «O Megas Synaxaristis of the Orthodox Church" Saint Patapios, p. (254) - (261) [m Victoras Mattheos, 3rd edition, Metamorfosi Sotiros Monastery, Athens, 1968]
- "Saint Patapios" [Stylianos Papadopoulos, professor of the University of Athens, Holy Monastery of Saint Patapios, Loutraki, Greece, edition 2006).
- "St. Patapios and his miracles," [Dr. Charalambos Busias, edition of Holy Monastery of Saint Patapios Loutraki 2004]
- "Life, akolouthia, paraklitikos kanonas and egomia of the holy mother ‘’Saint Hypomone" [Dr. Charalambos Busias, edition of Holy Monastery of Saint Patapios, Loutraki 1999]
- "Deltos of Miracles of our miraculous father St. Patapios" [Dr. Charalambos Busias, edition of Holy Monastery of Saint Patapios 4th Edition, Loutraki 2011]
External links
- http://www.imkorinthou.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=41&Itemid=139
- http://www.city-of-loutraki.gr/byzantine/nunnery_of_hosios_patapios.htm
- Monastery of St Patapios (Loutraki, Greece) at the OrthodoxWiki
- Patapius of Thebes at the OrthodoxWiki