Stephanos of Khinolakkos

On January 14 the Church celebrates the memory of St. Stephanos (Steven), who built the monastery of Khinolakkos in Moudania (in Asia Minor).

Life

St. Stephanos was a nobleman from the East and was righteous like Job. From the beginning he loved the ascetic life and went to the monasteries and hermitages of the holy fathers on the River Jordan in the desert of Sts. Euthymios, Savvas and Theodosios. When he had learned the way of life in each one of these monasteries, he went to Constantinople during the reign of Leo Isauros the Iconoclast (also known as Leo the Isaurian) in 716. He was offered hospitality in the holy Patriarch Germanos' and stayed there for some time. Having benefited much from the patriarch's advice, Stephanos spent the rest of his life at his monastery, Khinolakkos. There he gathered many monks and, after he had guiding them in the learning and the ways of the Lord, he raised them to perfection and to such a spiritual age as to be true members of the body of Christ.

Thus the saint lived, partaking in the future glory and beatitude of the heavenly kingdom even while he was still on this earth. According to tradition, his holy soul was seen by some rising in glory with an angelic escort to Heaven.

Source

Lives of the Saints for the Whole Year by St. Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain (18th c.) [1]