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{{Inprogress|The Holy '''Metropolis of Kythira and Antikythera''' (Gr:Κύθηρα, ''Cythera, Kythera'') is under the [[jurisdiction]] of the [[User:Ixthis888|VasilikiChurch of Greece]]}}. The metropolis is located among a number of Ionian islands.

== Metropolitan Panagia Myrtidiotissa==His Eminence Metropolitan Panagia Myrtidiotissa (''The Virgin of the Myrtle Tree''Seraphim (Stergioulis) is the protectress of Kythira''' (bthe Kythirians. 1950, Vragiana, Karditsa) was enthroned as The tradition of the Holy [[icon]] of [[Panagia Myrtidiotissa]] says that a shepherd saw in his sleep an [[metropolitanangel]] . The angel was pointing to an area of Kythera Kythira where the shepherd would take his sheep to graze. In this vision with the angel, the shepherd saw the icon of the Virgin Mary lying amongst the myrtle bushes. The shepherd awoke from the vision and AntiKythera in the morning went to that location to find the icon. As in his vision, the icon was lying amongst the myrtles. The shepherd took the icon home with him only to find the next day that the icon was missing. When he went to look for it, he found the icon amongst the myrtle bushes again. In honour of this miracle, the shepherd built a small [[July 2church]], 2005to house the icon. This story occurred sometime in c. 1160.

== Diocese ==Today, this little [[chapel]] remains as it was, however, a larger [[temple]] has been built above the church sometime in the 19th century. The temple is surrounded by many monastic [[cell]]s and this [[monastery]] is the largest in the Metropolis of Kythira has a total of 30 churches, 300 chapels, 30 cemetery churches . The monastery celebrates on [[September 24]] and 4 monasteries[[August 15]].

== Panagia Myrtidiotissa ==:''For more information, see main article: [[Panagia Myrtidiotissa]]'''''Panagia Myrtidiotissa''' is the protectres of the Kythirians. The tradition of the Holy [[icon]] of [[Panagia Myrtidiotissa]] (''The Virgin of the Myrtle Tree'') says that a shepherd saw in his sleep an angel. The angel was pointing to an area of Kythira where the shepherd would take his sheep to graze. In this vision with the angel, the shepherd saw the icon of the ''Virgin Mary'' lying amongst the Myrtle bushes. The shepherd awoke from the vision and in the morning went to that location to find the icon. As per his vision, the icon was lying amongst the myrtles. The shepherd took the icon home with him only to find the next day that the icon had gone missing. When he went to look for her, he found the icon amongst the myrtle bushes again. In honour of this miracle, the shepherd built a small church to house the icon. This whole story occured sometime in c. 1160.  Today, this little chapel remains as it was, however, a larger temple has been built above the church sometime in the 19th century. The temple is surrounded by many monastic cells and this monastery is the largest in this Metropolis. The monastery celebrates on [[September 24]] and [[August 15]]. == Local Saints and feast days saints==

*:Elessa was the daughter of "Helladios of Peloponnesus." She moved to Kythira because her father could not accept her christian faith. He followed her to the island and when he found her he killed her; today this is the location of the monastery. This all occurred in 375 AD. Her story is similar to that of St. [[Theodore Markella of KorinthChios]] .*St. Theodore of Koroni (Mani) ([[May 12]], c. 922):''Theodore was from Koroni (Mani) and came to the island from [[Monemvasia]]. He stayed in the abandoned chapel of Ss. Sergios and Vacchos for a year before dying c. 922. His relics were found on Kythira and in 1630 Bishop Athanasius (Valerianos) of Kythira founded a church in honour of this saint.''

:''St. Myronos was from a wealthy family who devoted his entire life to the priesthood and establishing the Christian church during the reign of the Dekios, c. 250 AD. He dies a martyric death.''

== Churches, Monasteries monasteries, and Chapels chapels==The Metropolis of Kythira has a total of 30 churches, 300 chapels, 30 cemetery churches, and 4 monasteries.*Church of St. Andrew, Livadi: This is one of the most important churches belonging to the [[metropolis]] because of its complex architecture and historically important "Hagiografies" ('''Male Monasteries'wall murals'') dating to the 12th and 13th centuries.#The Holy Monastery *Church of St. Theodore of KorinthGeorge on the Mountain#The :This is a small church on the mountain between the Holy Monastery of the Hope of the Virgin Maryand the village of Avlemonas. In the area of this church, archaeologists have found a Minoan temple and various vessels and effigies.#The Holy Monastery *Church of St. Elessa Demetrios:This church is a cluster of Kythirafour smaller churches/chapels with a common internal area.

== External Links links==*[http://www.imkythrionimkythiron.gr/ The Holy Metropolis of Kythiron and Antikytheron Website] (Greek)*[http://www.ecclesia.gr/greek/dioceses/Kythiron/Kythiron.html Ecclesia of Greece website - SummaryΜΗΤΡΟΠΟΛΕΙΣ ΤΗΣ ΕΚΚΛΗΣΙΑΣ ΤΗΣ ΕΛΛΑΔΟΣ] (Greek)

[[Category:Dioceses|Kythira]][[Category:Greek Dioceses|Kythira]]