St. Kendeas the Wonderworker of Cyprus

Today the Church remembers St. Kendeas the Wonderworker of Cyprus. This Saint is little known outside of Cyprus, and even then it is because those who know of him are from Cyprus or of Cypriot heritage. My reasons for knowing of St. Kendeas fall into the latter category. My father is from Cyprus, but this is not why I know St. Kendeas - at least, not directly.

In Cyprus, there is a village in the Famagusta region, named Avgorou. In Avgorou is a small monastery, situated on the UN buffer zone between southern Cyprus and its Turkish-occupied northern lands. This monastery is dedicated to St. Kendeas, and is built on the site of a cave where he either a) lived in asceticism, or b) stayed in during a journey and had a vision. I know of this small, obscure place and of this little-known Saint because my grandmother, being a widow, was tonsured in to the monastic life and joined this community. I had the blessing of being able to visit twice before she reposed (ten years ago this year).

My grandmother, tonsured Christonymphi, second from right.
Abbess Christophora, far left. Photo from 1989.

It has been eleven years since I last visited the monastery of St. Kendeas, but the memory of it, of the Saint, and of my grandmother have been with me constantly through the years. For years, I have had in my possession a book written by the then (and I assume, still) Abbess of the monastery, Christophora (pictured here). It is a book of the life of St. Kendeas, and it also includes the services dedicated to him. It is my hope to one day be able to translate this entire work in to English. I have started with an apolytikion, which I will offer below. I also would like to try and learn more about his life, and those who labored with him, because, interestingly, he came to Cyprus by way of Jordan - but only after having originally journeyed from what is now present-day Germany. Included below is the life of St. Kendeas as related by Chrissi Hart, the author of the children's book Under the Grapevine: A Miracle of St. Kendeas of Cyprus:

Saint Kendeas was a monk who lived between the seventh and tenth centuries and is recognized as a saint by the Orthodox Church.

His cave, church, and monastery are located near the village of Avgorou, in a fertile region of Cyprus that is famous for growing potatoes and for basket-weaving. Nearby coastal towns are known for their sandy beaches and clear turquoise water.

Saint Kendeas left his homeland of Alemanni (modern Germany), when he was eighteen and went to Jerusalem to live a monastic life with other hermits in the desert of Jordan. There he healed a young boy who was the son of a great nobleman from Jerusalem.

From Jordan he traveled by boat with other hermit monks to Cyprus, where, upon arrival, they miraculously survived a shipwreck.

Eventually, Saint Kendeas went to live alone in a cave near Avgorou, spending the rest of his life as an ascetic.

When Saint Kendeas arrived at the cave, he was thirsty and prayed to God for water to drink. The stone he knelt on filled with clear holy water and still flows today.

Throughout the centuries many sick people have asked Saint Kendeas for his help. Through his prayers to God, they have been cured.

He lived a long and virtuous life and has continued to perform numerous wonders and miracles for children and adults who believe in him and love Jesus Christ.

St. Kendeas the Wonderworker of Cyprus
Image Source

 Apolytikion, First Mode
(My own, amateur translation)

Through your struggles you hallowed Jordan's desert and wilderness;
on the isle of Cyprus you shone forth through great battles like a fixed star.
Beholding thus the wealth of your great works,
God-bearing Kendeas, we cry out:
Glory to Christ who has glorified you!
Glory to Him who made you wondrous!
Glory to Him who works healings for all through you! 

Finally, here is a video showing some photos from the feastday of St. Kendeas in the village of Avgorou. There are some photos of the monastery as well: