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The Holy Fathers.
According to the story, around 1300, there lived in Turkey a holy man called John the Hermit. In time he gathered round him some 98 followers and, becoming too popular with the local people because of the cures they carried out, John decided to pray to God to show him where they could go to live in solitude. In a dream John was told that he and his followers should go and preach the gospel in Crete. He got his band together and they set off on their voyage.
Before going they had agreed that they would follow John’s orders and that if one of them died, the others would die as well.
Bad weather interrupted their trip and they were stranded on the island of Gavdos for 24 days waiting for the storms to clear. The day that the wind broke John was so deep in prayer that he was invisible and the 98 Holy Fathers set off without him.
On arriving in Crete they discovered that John was missing and began to call for him to join them. John heard their calls and realised that his followers had gone ahead. He then spread cloak on the water he sailed from Gavdos to Crete, arriving 3 hours later.
The Holy Fathers lived in a cave up in the hills above Azogires but were instrumental in founding the Monastery. Their cave is up in the hills behind the Alpha kafenion, in the direction of Spaniakos, and can be reached by following the road that turns off to the right just before you get to the Alpha. It takes about an hour to walk up to it and you can pick up a map in the Alpha.
According to the story, around 1300, there lived in Turkey a holy man called John the Hermit. In time he gathered round him some 98 followers and, becoming too popular with the local people because of the cures they carried out, John decided to pray to God to show him where they could go to live in solitude. In a dream John was told that he and his followers should go and preach the gospel in Crete. He got his band together and they set off on their voyage.
Before going they had agreed that they would follow John’s orders and that if one of them died, the others would die as well.
Bad weather interrupted their trip and they were stranded on the island of Gavdos for 24 days waiting for the storms to clear. The day that the wind broke John was so deep in prayer that he was invisible and the 98 Holy Fathers set off without him.
On arriving in Crete they discovered that John was missing and began to call for him to join them. John heard their calls and realised that his followers had gone ahead. He then spread cloak on the water he sailed from Gavdos to Crete, arriving 3 hours later.
The Holy Fathers lived in a cave up in the hills above Azogires but were instrumental in founding the Monastery. Their cave is up in the hills behind the Alpha kafenion, in the direction of Spaniakos, and can be reached by following the road that turns off to the right just before you get to the Alpha. It takes about an hour to walk up to it and you can pick up a map in the Alpha.
The Holy Fathers located the Monastery in the valley below the current village, near an Evergreen Plane Tree and close to what was then a perpetual spring; the Spring of the Holy Fathers.
It is said that when 99 crosses are made on the Holy Fathers' tree by branches overlapping each other, the tree will die.
In the meantime, St John, having built the Church that carries his name, left his followers and moved on to the north of the island where he died and is buried.
In the meantime, St John, having built the Church that carries his name, left his followers and moved on to the north of the island where he died and is buried.
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