July 13: The Holy Sunlights of Cyprus are celebratedtranslated

Today, July 13, our Holy Orthodox Church holds a Synod of the Archangel Gabriel and honors the memory of Saint Stephen of Sabvaitos and of Cyprus Saints Heliophotos, Epaphroditus, Ammonios, Houlelais and Eusthenios. The Saints of the Sunlights were among the three hundred Saints who came to safely continue the monastic life on our apostolic island, after the second Latin Crusade in the 12th century.

When their ship was wrecked in the waters of Paphos, due to a strong storm, the faithful ascetics scattered to Cyprus and continued their ascetic life in the places they chose. This fact once again confirms that Cyprus remains from the first Christian centuries scattered with Ascetics and places where the Holy Triune God is worshipped. The mountain ranges of Pentadaktylos and Troodos, between them Mesaoria and the peninsula of Karpasia bear witness to this with the multitude of sacred monuments.

The Saints of the Sunlights, after wandering for a long time, climbed to the top of Mount Koroni, near the current village of Kato Moni, and set up their hermitage in two caves.

One of these ascetics, Heliophotos, was both a priest and a spiritual father...