By Spyros Symeon
Saint Vlasios for almost a millennium was unknown to all of us. But God often keeps such saints in the dark and when He sees fit He reveals them so that people can be strengthened.
The miraculous apparitions of Saint Vlasios has several similarities with that of Saint Raphael.
It is unknown why, perhaps because of her fervent faith, her purity of heart and her innocence, he chose to appear quite often to a humble woman in the region where the Saint was martyred. Her name is Euphrosyne.
The area got the name Sklavaina because after raids most of its population were taken as slaves from there and Saint Vlasios thus took the nickname of Sklavainois. He is a Saint who frees us from the slavery of our passions.
