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March 29, 2018

The Church of Saints Jonah and Barachisios in Farasa of Cappadocia


Saints Jonah and Barachisios (March 29) are the patron saints of Farasa in Cappadocia. It was in the church dedicated to them that Saint Arsenios of Cappadocia often liturgized. Saint Paisios the Athonite tells us that he often held vigil services here from 9:00PM to 3:00AM. Before the population exchange, Saint Arsenios dug a pit in this church and buried the sacred vessels he could not carry with him, so as not to be desecrated by the Turks. And after the villagers fled, and had walked 60 km, Saint Arsenios forgot the fragment of holy relic of Saint John Chrysostom that he had left in this altar, so he returned alone to retrieve it, not wanting to tire the travelers anymore, and when he returned to his flock they were waiting for him anxiously. Unfortunately, after the population exchange in 1924, this church was converted into a mosque, and the sanctuary was converted into a bathroom.