The feast of Saint John the Hermit and the 98 God-bearing Fathers with him is celebrated annually on October 7th at the place of their asceticism and repose, in the village of Azogyres of the province of Selinos in Crete. They chose this place after their arrival from Cyprus, except for Saint John the Hermit, who chose to live in asceticism at Akrotiri of Chania, and became the founder of the Sacred Monastery of Katholico and the Sacred Monastery of Gouverneto.
These 99 Venerable Fathers had a venerable repose, on the same day and at the same time, which was a result of their prayer and asceticism. They all reposed while they were living in asceticism in different caves, at the same time. It was at the time when a hunter fatally shot Saint John the Hermit with an arrow, mistaking him for a wild animal.
These 99 Venerable Fathers had a venerable repose, on the same day and at the same time, which was a result of their prayer and asceticism. They all reposed while they were living in asceticism in different caves, at the same time. It was at the time when a hunter fatally shot Saint John the Hermit with an arrow, mistaking him for a wild animal.
In 2024, Metropolitan Amphilochios of Kissamos and Selinos spoke the following words at the place of their repose in Azogyres on their feast day:
"Humble pilgrims to this hallowed place watered by the tears, prayers and prostrations of the Holy 99 God-bearing Fathers, where we participate in the celebration of their sacred memory. If we want this pilgrimage of ours to enlighten our minds and hearts, we need to realize who is the Person who united the 99 God-bearing Fathers. The answer? The Person of Christ.
Christ was the center of their hearts. Christ filled their souls with grace and power. Christ became the cause of their joy and life. Living in such an uncomfortable and wild place, in the caves and holes of the earth, Christ was the food of their souls.
Living, therefore, today, in the wilderness and solitude of our lives, if we do not put Christ in our hearts and if Christ does not become the center of our lives, no matter how many human joys we taste or seek, none can give us the fullness and joy that the presence of God gives to man. An inner joy of the heart. A sense of grace."
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
"Humble pilgrims to this hallowed place watered by the tears, prayers and prostrations of the Holy 99 God-bearing Fathers, where we participate in the celebration of their sacred memory. If we want this pilgrimage of ours to enlighten our minds and hearts, we need to realize who is the Person who united the 99 God-bearing Fathers. The answer? The Person of Christ.
Christ was the center of their hearts. Christ filled their souls with grace and power. Christ became the cause of their joy and life. Living in such an uncomfortable and wild place, in the caves and holes of the earth, Christ was the food of their souls.
Living, therefore, today, in the wilderness and solitude of our lives, if we do not put Christ in our hearts and if Christ does not become the center of our lives, no matter how many human joys we taste or seek, none can give us the fullness and joy that the presence of God gives to man. An inner joy of the heart. A sense of grace."
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
