Patapios of Thebes (Menologion of Basil II)

Patapios of Thebes (fl. 4th century AD) is the

patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, or Eastern Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or perso ...

dropsy Edema, also spelled oedema, and also known as fluid retention, dropsy, hydropsy and swelling, is the build-up of fluid in the body's tissue. Most commonly, the legs or arms are affected. Symptoms may include skin which feels tight, the area ma ...

. Saint Patapios’ memory is celebrated on 8 December (main celebration) and also at the Tuesday 2 days after the Sunday of Easter (in memory of the day that his relic was discovered). His relic is kept at the female monastery of Saint Patapios at

Loutraki Loutraki ( el, Λουτράκι) is a seaside resort on the Gulf of Corinth, in Corinthia, Greece. It is located west of Athens and northeast of Corinth. Loutraki is the seat of the municipality Loutraki-Perachora-Agioi Theodoroi. The tow ...

, a

spa town A spa town is a resort town based on a mineral spa (a developed mineral spring). Patrons visit spas to "take the waters" for their purported health benefits. Thomas Guidott set up a medical practice in the English town of Bath in 1668. He ...

near

Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders ...

Biography

Patapios was born in the 4th century AD in Thebes, Roman Egypt, to wealthy Christian parents. Patapios, at a young age, lived the life of a hermit in the desert. Many visited him to take his advice and to listen to his preaching. Later in his life, Patapios left Thebes and the desert for

Constantinople la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه , alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya ( Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis ( ...

. There he met two other ascetics, Varas and Ravoulas, who both became saints. Saint Ravoulas was hermit at the gate of Romanos. Saint Varas built the monastery of St John the Baptist at Petrion. Patapios lived in the area of

Blachernae Blachernae ( gkm, Βλαχέρναι) was a suburb in the northwestern section of Constantinople, the capital city of the Byzantine Empire. It is the site of a water source and a number of prominent churches were built there, most notably the great ...

at the Xero Oros (dry mountain) and he established a

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone ( hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer whi ...

, the Monastery of the Egyptians, where he eventually died.

Veneration of his relic

Early history

Patapios' relic after the destruction of the Monastery of the Egyptians in 536 AD was transferred by Saint Varas to the Monastery of Saint John at Petrion, which during the last centuries of the

Byzantine Empire The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantinopl ...

was under the protection of the royal family of Constantinople, the

Palaiologoi The House of Palaiologos ( Palaiologoi; grc-gre, Παλαιολόγος, pl. , female version Palaiologina; grc-gre, Παλαιολογίνα), also found in English-language literature as Palaeologus or Palaeologue, was a Byzantine Greek f ...

, and especially the '' Augusta''

Helena Dragaš Helena Dragaš ( sr, Јелена Драгаш, ''Jelena Dragaš'', el, , ''Helénē Dragásē''; c. 1372 – 23 March 1450) was the empress consort of Byzantine emperor Manuel II Palaiologos and mother of the last two emperors, John VIII ...

, the mother of the last Byzantine emperor, Constantine XI Palaiologos, who became a nun and a saint under the

monastic name A religious name is a type of given name bestowed for a religious purposes, and which is generally used in such contexts. Christianity Catholic Church Baptismal name In baptism, Catholics are given a Christian name, which should not be "foreign ...

of Saint Hypomone ("patience"). After the

conquest of Constantinople The Fall of Constantinople, also known as the Conquest of Constantinople, was the capture of the capital of the Byzantine Empire by the Ottoman Empire. The city fell on 29 May 1453 as part of the culmination of a 53-day siege which had begun o ...

by the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

in 1453, a relative of the Palailogos emperors and nephew of the ''Augusta'' Helena, Aggelis Notaras, in order to protect the relic of Saint Patapios from the Ottomans, transferred it to Mount

Geraneia Geraneia Mountains or Yerania Ori ( el, Γεράνεια Όρη) are a mountain range in Corinthia and West Attica, Greece. Its highest point is the peak ''Makryplagi'' ( el, Μακρυπλάγι), elevation 1,351 m. It covers the northern part of ...

in southern

, near the town Thermai (

). There he hid it in a cave and a hermitage was established, but some centuries later it was abandoned. It has to be mentioned that the cave where the relic of Saint Patapios was transferred had actually functioned as a hermitage since the 11th century AD. It is located at a height of 650 meters (2132 feet).

The discovery of the cave and the foundation of the monastery

The cave with the relic of the saint was discovered in 1904 by citizens of

. In the cave they found also the skull of

, known as Saint Hypomone. However, some visitors from the cave took pieces of the relics of St Patapios as an amulet, as Sister Patapia mentions. Then, a priest from Loutraki, father Constantinos Susannis, took the relic of Patapios and kept it at home with the permission of the church to keep it away from vandals. Originally they found in the cave an despoiled wooden cross, a membrane and coins which were delivered to the authorities. Later in 1952, Father Nektarios (in the world Kyriakos) Marmarinos, a priest from the Synoikismos (meaning settlement) of Corinth (and later chancellor in the diocese of Corinth), who was originated from Aegina (and was student of St. Jerome), founded at the monastery and the relic returned to the cave where it was found. The official founding of the monastery took place on August 1, 1952, by Metropolitan of Korinth Prokopios Tzavaras. The first abbess in the monastery in 1952, was sister Synglitiki. Sister Patapia helped at the establishment and building of the monastery. She was mother superior from 1963 to 1970, when she resigned because of health problems. The next and current mother superior is sister Isidora. Father Nektarios, the founder of the monastery, is still visiting the monastery. He has a rich Christian work and has established other monasteries as the male monastery ''The 3 Hierarchs'' (near the village Perachora) and a summer camp for children (called ''Bethlehem''). He has also created a female nursing home in Loutraki (where nuns serve the elderly women). Today Elder Nektarios has retired. He has received numerous awards from the Church of Corinth which was chancellor. Even today, though in old age, every Sunday in the settlement of Corinth makes it even lectures on Christian content and Sunday school.

The Monastery of St. Patapios today

The monastery includes the hostels, cells for the 40 nuns, a church dedicated to the

Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of ...

, the cemetery (with the chapel of St. Mary of Egypt) and the katholikon of the Holy Trinity. Finally there is an exhibition room for the visitors. The Cave of St. Patapios is beside the church. There they keep the holy relic of the saint, covered with a robe (that changes every year in the day if the saints' celebration). In the cave there are Byzantine icons (including St. Patapios and St. Patience) by an unknown artist, which were painted probably in the 15th century. Many visitors take as a single amulet from the cave a bit of cotton soaked with holy oil (from the hanging oil - lamp burning in the cave of the Saint) and also take holy water from a source adjacent to the cave. The skull of Saint Hypomone, known as

, is also kept at Saint Patapios' nunnery. In the monastery of St. Patapios live 40 nuns. It is located in Greece, mountain Gerania at an altitude of 650 meters (2132 feet) and is close to Loutraki (known resort located 1 hour from the capital Athens). The monastery overlooks the sea and Loutraki. Entering the monastery of St. Patapios we encounter the church'' Virgin Mary''. The church was sanctified on August 1, 1968, by the Metropolitan bishop of Korinth Panteleimon. Inside the church we see an icon in center with the saint that celebrates that day. On the right we see the image of St. Patapios which is across the icon of

on the wall, which is full of offerings (from miracles). You can also see the image of St. Hipomoni left which is across the large picture of St. Patapios on the wall who is with Saint Hypomone, known as

, and Saint Nikon the New. Adjucent the church of Virgin Mary, is the church of ''Agioi (Saints) Anargyroi''. File:Saint Patapios Monastery entrance.jpg, Main entrance to the Monastery of Saint Patapios, November 2022 File:Saint Patapios cave entrance.jpg, Entrance to the cave of Saint Patapios, November 2022 File:Saint Patapios Monastery grounds 1.jpg, Monastery of Saint Patapios, November 2022 File:Patapius.jpg, View of the cave entrance (left) and the main church (right) File:saint Hipomini icon.jpg, Saint Hipomoni (St Patience) icon File:Archibishop at saint patapios monastery.jpg, His Reverence Archbishop Christodoulos visits Saint Patapios monastery. September 2006 File:nun patapia image.gif, Sister Patapia, 2008 File:the nunnery of saint patapios.jpg, The nunnery of Saint Patapios, November 2010 File:Father Nectarios Marmarinos.jpg, Father Nectarios, the establisher of the monastery of Saint Patapios, at the monastery at the annual celebration of the saint, 8 December 2012 File:Bishop Dionysius.jpg, His Reverence bishop of Corinth Dionysius Mantalos, with sister Patapia at the monastery of saint Patapios, at the annual celebration of the saint, 8 December 2012

Miracles

Saint Patapios is well known for the miracles that he did in the past and still does nowadays, which are recorded with full details in the historical archives of the monastery which maintains a large library.

Celebration of the saint

The memory of Patapios is celebrated on December 8; and also Tuesday after Easter (as a remembrance of the day of finding the relic). The holy skull of Saint Hypomone, known as

, is also kept in the monastery of St. Patapios.

References

*«The Holy Monastery of Saint Patapios in Loutraki» dition of the Metropolis of Corinth, Sikyon, Zemenou, Tarsus and Polyfengous, 2012 *«The Greek Monasteries» v. Lekkou, Ihnilatis, Athens, 1995 * "Agiologio of Orthodoxy," hristos Tsolakidis, Athens, 2001 edition* «O Megas Synaxaristis of the Orthodox Church" Saint Patapios, p. (254) - (261) Victoras Mattheos, 3rd edition, Metamorfosi Sotiros Monastery, Athens, 1968* "Saint Patapios" [Stylianos Papadopoulos, professor of the University of Athens, Holy Monastery of Saint Patapios, Loutraki, Greece, edition 2006). * "St. Patapios and his miracles," [Dr. Charalambos Busias, edition of Holy Monastery of Saint Patapios Loutraki 2004] * "Life, akolouthia, paraklitikos kanonas and egomia of the holy mother ‘’Saint Hypomone" [Dr. Charalambos Busias, edition of Holy Monastery of Saint Patapios, Loutraki 1999] * "Deltos of Miracles of our miraculous father St. Patapios" r. Charalambos Busias, edition of Holy Monastery of Saint Patapios 4th Edition, Loutraki 2011

External links

* http://www.imkorinthou.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=41&Itemid=139 * https://web.archive.org/web/20101122123551/http://www.city-of-loutraki.gr/byzantine/nunnery_of_hosios_patapios.htm
Monastery of St Patapios (Loutraki, Greece)
at the OrthodoxWiki
Patapius of Thebes
at the OrthodoxWiki {{DEFAULTSORT:Patapios, Saint Saints from Constantinople 4th-century Christian saints 4th-century Egyptian people Saints from Roman Egypt People from Thebes, Egypt