"Twenty-nine years after his death by martyrdom by fanatical Jews, Saint Philoumenos the Hieromartyr the Cypriot «returned» to Jacob’s Well, the holy pilgrimage, where he served as abbot and the guardian. Recently the Metropolitan of Morphou, Neofytos, with the blessing of His Beatitude Patriarch of Jerusalem Theophilos, transported the relics of the holy martyr Philoumenos from Holy Zion, in Jerusalem, [where he was buried originally] to the Well of Jacob in the Palestinian town Nablus (Neapoli). The transfer coincided with the consecreation by the Patriarch Theofilos of the sacred church of St. Photini the Samaritan woman. The sacred relic, which remains essentially incorrupt and fragrant, is kept in a wooden reliquary and was placed in the right chapel of the church of St. Photini, which is devoted to the Hieromartyr Philoumenos. The Metropolitan of Morphou Neophytos spoke with us with much emotion about the transfer of the relics of the Holy Hieromartyr Philoumenos, stressing that it was the most important event for him in the ten years which he has been a bishop. «The Diocese of Morphou contributed to the honor of the Saint», explained Mr Neophytos. The sacred relic is clad with the sacred vestments. The skull of the Hieromartyr remained uncovered to be visible to pilgrims. The martyred St. Philoumenos suffered a terrible death, as men beat him mercilessly with an ax. «They hit him brutally on the head, and they cut his face both horizontally and vertically, so the whole top of the skull has been removed. We have a skull divided in half», said Metropolitan of Morphou Neophytos. Before the transfer of the relics the Divine Liturgy was performed in Holy Zion, while the blessing of the holy water service occurred for the altar of St. Philoumenos’ chapel in the church of St. Photini by Neophytos of Morphou, again with blessing of Patriarch Theophilos.
His righteous life, his martyrical end, and the miracles of the martyr
Philoumenos revealed him as a true new Hieromartyr of the faith in the
minds of believers. In 1999 at the initiative of Neofytou of Morphou,
the service of the Hieromartyr Philoumenos was written by the
hymnographer Dr. Charalambos Bousia. Iconography of the martyr is in the
katholikon of the monastery of Stafrovounio, and the brotherhood of the
monastery of Agios Nikolaos in Orountas compiled the life of the martyr
Philoumenos. The blessed Geronda Seraphim of the monastery of St. Sava
of Palestine said about the Hieromartyr Philoumenos «He was a holy man.
He lived a righteous life, and that is why God made him worthy to become
a martyr, giving him with the incorruption and fragrance of his body
the grace of healing as an affirmation from above of his being in the
land of the Righteous». The Well of Jacob, where St. Philoumenos was
martyred is «a historically and spiritually important historical
monument for three monotheistic religions», notes the Metropolitan
Morphou Neophytos and explains: «because of the well of Jacob it is a
sacred place for the Jews, and because of the Samaritan Woman and Christ
it is a holy site for Christians, and Muslims consider the site holy,
because Jacob is one of the prophets of Islam». The Hieromartyr
Philoumenos, as related by his successor, Fr. Justin (who is from
Kerkyra) «kept the Christian pilgrimage Christian, and therefore the
region of Nablus did not become a Jewish settlement, which is why even
Arabs consider Philoumenos as their own martyr», the Metropolitan of
Morphou added that the Palestinian Authority gave permission to the
inauguration of the church of St. Photini and the chapel of St.
Philoumenos. Metropolitan Neophytos notes "It was the most important
event for me in the ten years that I have been bishop". There was
contrition at the sacred services which took place in an atmosphere of
great devotion, as Bishops and priests from the Patriarchate of
Jerusalem, clerics from the Metropolis of Morphou, the Monks of the
Monastery of St. Nicholas Orountas who had written the life of the Holy
Hieromartyr, clerics from Greece and a multitude of faithful from Greece
and Cyprus all participated…"
© 2001 Ο Φιλελεύθερος