Matrona of Chios

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Matrona of Chios, Greek icon

Matrona von Chios (* in the 15th century in Volissos , Chios ; † before 1455 in Chios; originally Maria ) is a saint of the Orthodox Church . Her commemoration day is October 20, and July 15 is the commemoration of the discovery of a head relic.

Life

Matrona was born under the name Maria in the village of Volissos on the island of Chios during the 15th century. Her parents, Leon and Anna, are said to have been respected and wealthy Christians. Maria was the youngest of seven children. Since her youth she showed great interest in monastic life . When her parents tried to arrange a wedding for her, she refused and wanted to remain a virgin. To avoid the marriage, she left Volissos and went to a hill near the place called Katavasis . There she began a spiritual life of fasting and prayer , and soon other nuns joined her . Her parents searched everywhere for her and after finding her they convinced Maria to return home. She complied with her parents' wishes, but continued to refuse to marry. Her parents saw that she wanted to lead a monastic life and finally gave their consent.

After Maria's parents died, she distributed the inherited farmland among her sisters and the local orphans. She left Volissos and returned to the katavasis. There she lived very simply, the food was brought to her by one of her sisters. Three years later she left the katavasis and moved to the main town on the island, where there were a number of women's monasteries.

During visits to the various monasteries, Maria found one that was isolated and in which only three nuns lived, a mother with her two daughters. These nuns recognized their seriousness and accepted them into the small monastery. Maria took the name Matrona, as is the custom for an Orthodox nun when she becomes a stavrophore ; this marks their second baptism and the beginning of a new life path.

Matrona surpassed the other nuns in devotion, piety and understanding of Christian teaching. Her seriousness convinced girls that they should enter the monastery and lead a spiritual life. The monastery church was small, so Abbess Matronas agreed to plans to enlarge the church and build cells for the nuns. So Matrona sold the farmland she still owned and her personal belongings so that the monastery could use the proceeds to build a public bath that was available to the poor and pilgrims. This type of bath was widely used at the time. Then began a renovation of the church building. After the church was completed and consecrated to St. Artemios, the abbess died and the nuns elected Matrona as their new abbess. She showed great love for the poor and had the gift of healing the sick.

At that time Chios was ruled by the Genoese . When the island and its monasteries were pillaged by strangers, they also came to Matrona's monastery. However, when one of them tried to attack the nuns, the abbess prayed for heavenly assistance. As a result, lightning bolts are said to have risen from the sky, killing the attacker. The remaining strangers, it is said, were frightened by this and fled the island.

In the last seven days of her life, Matrona suffered from an illness. During this time she comforted her nuns as a mother comforts her children. She received the Holy Eucharist and died before 1455. She was buried in the church of the monastery where she had spent most of her life. It is said in honor of these saints that miracles would have occurred after their death; many people with various ailments made pilgrimages to church and were healed.

A church was built in the village of Katavasis to honor the place where St. Matrona began her spiritual life. A larger church was later built and the older one served as a burial chapel.

Monastery of the Holy Matrona

The monastery of St. Matrona was founded by the nobleman Roidis in 1470 near the village of Mesa Didima . He originally wanted to build a summer residence, but Matrona appeared to him in a dream and instructed him to build a monastery instead. His two sisters were the first nuns to inhabit the monastery. During the Ottoman period, St. Nikephoros of Chios was the abbot of the monastery. He wrote 24 hymns in honor of St. Matrona. The Metropolitan Nicetas of Rhodes also composed liturgical pieces in honor of St. Matrona.

In modern times there are still four nuns living in the monastery.

The feast day of St. Matrona is celebrated in the monastery on October 20th.

literature

  • Χαλκιά-Στεφάνου, Πόπη (Chalkia-Stephanu, Pope) (2008), Οι αγίοι τής Χίου: Εκκλησιαστική Ιστορία τής νήσου από τής διαδόσεως του Χριστιανισμου μεχρι τις ημέρες μας (20ός αίονας) (Oi agioi Tēs Chiu: ekklēsiastikē istoria Tēs nesu Chiu apo tēs diadosēōs tu Christianismu mechri tis ēmeres mas (20os aiōnas)) (The saints of Chios: Church history of the island of Chios from the spread of Christianity to our days (20th century)). Athēnai: Eptalophos, pp. 113–126 (The Holy Matrona the Chiotin (14th – 15th centuries)). ISBN 978-960-90294-2-1

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c St. Matrona of Chios . Website of the Anthiochian Orthodox Christian Church of North America . Retrieved July 25, 2014.
  2. ↑ Christina Dedoussis: Voice in the wilderness. Some Saints and Feasts of the Orthodox Christian Church. Retrieved July 25, 2014 .
  3. ↑ St. Matrona. In: Discover Chios ( Memento from July 27, 2014 in the Internet Archive )
  4. ^ Venerable Matrona of Chios , accessed on July 26, 2014
personal data
SURNAME Matrona of Chios
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Maria
BRIEF DESCRIPTION orthodox nun, saint
DATE OF BIRTH 15th century
PLACE OF BIRTH Volissos , Chios
DATE OF DEATH before 1455
Place of death Chios