Metropolis of Kythira

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The Holy Metropolis of Kythira and Antikythera (Gr:Κύθηρα, Cythera, Kythera) is under the jurisdiction of the Church of Greece.

Metropolitan

His Eminence Metropolitan Seraphim (Stergioulis) of Kythira (b. 1950, Vragiana, Karditsa) was enthroned as metropolitan of Kythera and AntiKythera July 2, 2005.

Diocese

The Metropolis of Kythira has a total of 30 churches, 300 chapels, 30 cemetery churches and 4 monasteries.

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

• Virgin-martyr St. Elessa of Kythera, d. 375 (August 1)

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 occured in 375 AD. Her story is similar to St. Markella of Chios

• 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.

• Priest-martyr St. Myronos of Antikythira (August 17)

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 and Chapels

• 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 (wall murals) dating to the 12th and 13th century.

• Church of St. George on the Mountain

This is a small church on the mountain between the Holy Monastery of the Hope of the Virgin Mary and the village of Avlemonas. In the area of this church, archaeologists have found a minoan templae and various vessels and effigies.

• Church of St. Demetrios

This church is a cluster of four smaller churches/chapels with a common internal area.

Male Monasteries

• The Holy Monastery of St. Theodore of Koroni (Mani), Aroniadika village.

This monastery is founded over the small chapel dedicated to Ss. Sergios and Vacchos.

• The Holy Monastery of Hope of the Virgin Mary

The Holy Monastery of the Hope of the Virgin Mary, known as Agia Moni, was founded in 1840 by Kolokotronis and is dedicated to the Virgin Mary; he had promised to return to the island and assist in the construction if the Greek Revolution of 1821 would be successful. The monastery celebrates August 6.

• The Holy Monastery of St. Elessa of Kythira

The Holy Monastery of St. Elessa of Kythira is built over the spot where St. Elessa martyred. The temple was built in 1871 and has few cells.

External Links

• The Holy Metropolis of Kythiron and Antikytheron Website (Greek)
• Ecclesia of Greece website - Summary (Greek)