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[[Image:Neomartyr Philoumenos.jpg|right|thumb|New Martyr Archimandrite Philoumenos (+1979), keeper of the Greek Orthodox monastery of [[Jacob's Well]] in Samaria (Nablus, West Bank).]][[Image:Hieromartyr of Jacob's Well Philoumenos.gif|right|thumb|Hieromartyr Saint Philoumenos of [[Jacob's Well]].]] [[New Martyrs|New martyr]] Archimandrite '''Philoumenos (Hasapis)'''<ref group="note">Of Father Philoumenos' surname, his spiritual son Monk Yeghia Yenovkian writes that he was ''"[http://www.roca.org/OA/94/94k.htm Born to the pious Cypriot family of Hasapis]"''. In a [http://www.scribd.com/doc/9195929/- Greek source], published in August 2004 which deals with modern saints of the Orthodox Church, Fr. Philoumenos is referred to in a brief biographical entry as ''"Orountiotis"'' however; this latter term in the Greek refers to his place his origin (i.e. "of the village of [[w:Orounta|Orounta]]") and not to his surname.</ref> (Greek: Π. ''' ''Φιλουμενος ο Κυπριος'' ''', also Π. ''' ''Φιλουμενος Ορουντιωτης'' '''), [[October 15]], 1913 - [[November 16]], 1979, was the [[Igumen]] of the [[Greek Orthodox]] [[Monasticism|monastery]] of [[Jacob's Well]] near the city of Samaria, now called Nablus (Neapolis), in the West Bank. In a Synodal decision the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem classified him in its [[Hagiography|Hagiologion]] at its 50th Session on September 11, 2009.<ref>Jerusalem Patriarchate - News Gate.''[http://www.jp-newsgate.net/en/2009/11/29/656/ CLASSIFICATION TO THE HAGIOLOGION OF THE MARTYR FILOUMENOS, SUPERIOR OF JACOB’S WELL].'' 29/11/2009.</ref> He was officially glorified by the the [[Church of Jerusalem|Patriarchate of Jerusalem]] on [[August 17November 29]]/30, 20082009 (''Old Style''), and is commemorated by the Church on [[November 16]]/29.<ref group="note">.Father Philoumenos' was martyred on his [[Name day]] of , November 29th ''(Old Style),'' which is also the feast of the 3rd century [[martyrs]] Paramon and Philoumen (ca. AD 270).</ref>His Beatitude Patriarch [[Theophilus III (Giannopoulos) of Jerusalem|Theophilus III]] presided at the [[Divine Liturgy]], along with the bishops of the Patriarchal see of Jerusalem and a number of bishops from the [[Church of Cyprus]], in addition to a delegation from the [[Church of Russia|Russian Church]].
The life of Father Philoumenos is an example that [[Martyr|martyrdom]] for [[Jesus Christ|Christ]] is not of the past from the Roman Empire or Communist times, but is a reality even in our own day.<ref name="ACROD">Very Rev. Fr. Edward Pehanich. ''[http://www.acrod.org/assets/files/PDFS/Messenger/CM%20-%201-08_Web.pdf Father Philoumenos of Jacobs Well 1913-1979].'' In: '''The Church Messenger''', American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese of the U.S.A. Volume LXIV, Number 1, January 27, 2008. Page 7.</ref>
==Life==
[[Image:Hieromartyr of Jacob's Well Philoumenos.gif|right|thumb|Hieromartyr Saint Philoumenos of [[Jacob's Well]].]]
Saint Philoumenos came from the village of [[w:Orounta|Orounta]] in the province of [[w:Morphou|Morphou]], [[Church of Cyprus|Cyprus]]. The neomartyr was born in 1913 to George and Magdalene Hasapis, along with his twin brother Archimandrite Elpidios. Even though his parents came from the village of Orounta, they lived at the [http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Agios_Savvas_Church,_Nicosia.jpg parish of St. Savvas in Nicosia], since his father had his own inn and bakery there.<ref name="NOCTOC">''[http://noctoc-noctoc.blogspot.com/2008/11/1979-cypriot-saint-philoumenos-who-was.html NOCTOC: Ο Κύπριος Άγιος Φιλούμενος που κατακρεούργησαν οι σιωνιστές Εβραίοι το 1979-The Cypriot Saint Philoumenos who was massacred by Zionist Jews in 1979].'' Saturday, November 29, 2008.</ref>
===In the Holy Land===
[[Image:29 nov philoumenos of jacobs well.jpg|right|thumb|St. Philoumenus, Newmartyr of Jacob's well, November 16/29.]]
Afterwards, they both left for Jerusalem, where they attended High School. Upon finishing High School in 1939, Father Elpidios served as a priest in different places, eventually leaving for [[Mount Athos]],<ref group="note">Archimandrite Elpidios died on November 29, 1983.</ref>, while Father Philoumenos joined the monastic [[Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulcher]] in Jerusalem.<ref name="ACROD"/>
His spiritual son, the Monk Yeghia<ref group="note">Rev. Fr. Hieroschemamonk Hiero[[schemamonk]] Elia (Yenovkian) ([[Holy Synod of Milan|Synod of Milan]]), [[Igumen]] of [http://burningbushmonastery.org/ Paradise Palestinian Hermitage], Ellisville, Mississippi.</ref> wrote these reminiscences of his father in Christ:
:Father Philoumenos used to tell me about his years in [[Church of the Nativity (Bethlehem)|Bethlehem]], where the bishop disapproved of education for monks lest they be tempted to the priesthood. But because of his zeal for the neglected souls of the Palestinian faithful, Father Philoumenos studied to become fluent in Arabic, both literary and conversational, chanting the Holy [[Gospel]] more easily than many Arabs, and preaching the Orthodox faith not only in their language but in his Orthodox manner of life. What a good shepherd he was, more worthy than some of the episcopate! Yet the policies and needs of the patriarchate saw Father Philoumenos assigned to other positions. Whenever Palestinian faithful were scandalized by some unworthy priest, whenever Orthodox neglect or European money drove the faithful to wonder whether they would not receive better pastoral care from Uniates, it was Father Philoumenos that the [[List of Patriarchs of Jerusalem|Patriarch of Jerusalem]] sent as the true defender of the Faith, a man of more than blameless life, a man from whom no one could even imagine any immodest or improper word, a man whose faith and integrity were a model for all.<ref name="Yeghia">Monk Yeghia Yenovkian [http://burningbushmonastery.org/ Paradise Palestinian Hermitage], Ellisville, Mississippi. ''[http://www.roca.org/OA/94/94k.htm Tribute to a New Martyr - Our Holy Father Philoumenos of the Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulchre ].'' Martyred at Jacob's Well, 16/29 November, 1979. In: '''Orthodox America''', 1994.</ref>
:Three things were most remarkable about the blessed martyr. The first might have been partly from nature, but assuredly aided by Grace: this was his soft sweet voice, which I can still hear today. The second was a meticulous fidelity to small things, but specifically to the Divine Service. He never omitted one word of any day's service. When we were alone in some remote monastery, particularly for [[Matins]], he slowly and carefully chanted each word of every [[Psalter|psalm]] and canon. Not even at the Monastery of St. Sabba was the reading done so well. But when there were pilgrims for the [[Divine Liturgy]] and [[vespers]], he made the usual abridgements lest the service be too long and some be tempted to leave. Later on, privately, he would read every word that had not been chanted in the church. Those who stayed with him for some time saw the copies of the [[menaion]], [[horologion]], synaxarion, etc. and noticed that the markers were always in place and the volumes never dusty, which earned the Divine Promise, ''Well done thou good and faithful servant, because thou hast been faithful over little things, I will set thee over great things Enter thou into the joy of the Lord'' (Matt. 25:21). Third, and as unobtrusive, almost secret, was his [[humility]].<ref name="Yeghia"/>
In 1979 Saint Philoumenos was appointed guardian of the Monastery of Saint [[Jacob's Well]].<ref name="NOCTOC"/>
===Martyrdom===
[[Image:29 nov philoumenos of jacobs wellPhiloumenos.jpg|right|thumb|St. Philoumenus, Newmartyr of Jacob's well, November 16/29.]]
The crowning moment of Father Philoumenos’ earthly [[pilgrimage]] came on [[November 16]]/29, 1979 at the shrine built on the site of [[Jacob's Well]]. The Saint experienced a martyric death at the hands of extremist Jewish Zionists who massacred him with an ax in the evening, while he was performing [[Vespers]] at the Well of Jacob where he lived as a loyal guardian of the Holy Places and centuries old way of life.<ref name="NOCTOC"/>
After four years his body was exhumed, as is customary among Greek monks. It was found to be substantially incorrupt and had the smell of a beautiful scent. Then the tomb was closed and was reopened during the [[Nativity|Christmas]] season of 1984.<ref name="NOCTOC"/>
On November 17/30, Patriarch [[Diodoros I (Karivalis) of Jerusalem|Diodorus of Jerusalem]], accompanied by various Greek bishops, archimandrites, clergymen and monastics, opened the grave. The coffin was reverently removed from its grave in the cemetery of the [[Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulcher]] on Mount Sion, and, when the shroud was lifted ofoff, the [[relics]] were found to be substantially incorrupt. The remains were rinsed with wine, and then wrapped in a sheet. A short [[Memorial Services|requiem service]] was then chanted.<ref name="ALL SAINTS"> His body was then placed in a glass shrine in the northern part of the sacred Holy Altar in Mount Zion.<ref group="note">In the seminary chapel of the [[Church of Jerusalem|Patriarchate of Jerusalem]].</ref><ref name="NOCTOC"/>
Hieromartyr Philoumenos was ranked among the [[Saints]] of the [[Church of Jerusalem]] on [[August 17]]/30, 2008, and from that time, his incorrupt body was transferred to the pilgrimage site of Saint [[Jacob's Well]] where he had found martyrdom for the love of [[Jesus Christ|Christ]].<ref name="NOCTOC"/><ref group="note">''Notes on Arab Orthodoxy (blogspot). "[http://araborthodoxy.blogspot.com/2009/12/new-hieromartyr-philomenos.html The New Hieromartyr Philoumenos]." Sunday, December 6, 2009.'')<br>''The following is translated from the website of the [http://www.archorthotripoli.org/ Archdiocese of Tripoli].''<br>:Nablus (30.11.2009)—Yesterday, at the Orthodox Church of Jacob’s Well in Nablus the beatification of the martyr Philoumenos and the placing of his name in the Synaxarion of saints of the Orthodox Church was officially announced by the Holy Synod. His Beatitude the Patriarch [[Theophilus III (Giannopoulos) of Jerusalem|Theophilus III]] presided at the Divine Liturgy, along with the bishops of the [[Church of Jerusalem|patriarchal see of Jerusalem]] and a number of bishops from the [[Church of Cyprus]], in addition to a delegation from the [[Church of Russia|Russian Church]]. The relics of the saint are preserved in the church in which he was martyred. During the [[Divine Liturgy]], the decision of the Holy Synod to place the martyr Archimandrite Philoumenos in the [[w:Synaxarium|Synaxarion]] was officially announced. His annual commemoration will be [[November 29]], the anniversary of his martyrdom.</ref>
His memory is honored on [[November 16]]/29, especially in the Holy [[Metropolis of Morphou ]] of the [[Church of Cyprus]], and the community of Orounta, which observes an all-night long church service in memory of the martyr Saint Philoumenos the New.<ref name="NOCTOC"/>
The Lord has seen fit to allow our generation of Christians to have [[martyrs]] of its own. It is without a doubt that the blood of murdered Orthodox Christians such as Archimandrite Philoumenos in the Holy Land, Hieromonk [[New Martyrs of Optina Pustyn|Vasily and the two Optina monks]] in Russia and Brother [[w:Brother Jose Muñoz-Cortes|Jose Munoz]] in the West, is today’s "seed", which is ripening and will produce a harvest in Christ's Vineyard.<ref>Western American Diocese: Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia (News Archive). ''[http://www.wadiocese.com/enews.php?id=C10_82_14 The 10th Anniversary of Brother Jose's Repose is Marked in San Francisco].'' October 31, 2007.</ref>
==Troparia==
[[Image:Agios-ieromartys-filoumenos-parekklision-panagoias-pantanassis-porto-lagos.jpg|right|thumb]]
:'''TROPARION (Tone 3)'''<br>
:Vanquisher of daemons,
* All Saints of North America Russian Orthodox Church. ''[http://www.allsaintsofamerica.org/martyrs/nmphilou.html Holy Hieromartyr Philoumenos].''
* Blackwell Reference Online. ''[http://www.blackwellreference.com/public/tocnode?id=g9780631232032_chunk_g978063123203220_ss1-39 Philoumenos].''
* Jerusalem Patriarchate - News Gate.''[http://www.jp-newsgate.net/en/2009/11/29/656/ CLASSIFICATION TO THE HAGIOLOGION OF THE MARTYR FILOUMENOS, SUPERIOR OF JACOB’S WELL].'' 29/11/2009.
* KATHIMERINI (English Edition). ''[http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_politics_1_11/09/2006_74050 Orthodox oasis in West Bank].'' Monday September 11, 2006.
* Monk Yeghia Yenovkian [http://burningbushmonastery.org/ Paradise Palestinian Hermitage], Ellisville, Mississippi. ''[http://www.roca.org/OA/94/94k.htm Tribute to a New Martyr - Our Holy Father Philoumenos of the Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulchre ].'' Martyred at Jacob's Well, 16/29 November, 1979. In: '''Orthodox America''', 1994.
