St. John Lampadistes, Wonderworker of All Cyprus

Falling Asleep of St. John Lampadistes [CREDIT: UOJ-USA/Benjamin Dixon]

Sometimes you find a saint—but other times, they find you.

Shortly after Pascha of this year, I finally flew to Cyprus to explore the western part of the island. Some of you have likely read my reflections on that journey on Substack. In that piece, I mentioned how I stumbled upon a small church dedicated to St. Anthony the Great. Inside, there was a small icon of a saint I had never seen before. For some reason, I was deeply drawn to it. I lit a few candles and went on my way.

Later, while passing through the gift shop of a local archaeological site, I saw a book—and there on the cover was that same icon. Since I couldn’t look through the book without buying it (tourist traps being what they are), I handed over fifteen euros and opened it. It turned out to be a book about the Monastery of Saint John Lampadistes.

“Ah, Saint John Lampadistes,” I said aloud as I flipped through the pages. The monastery was ancient, its iconography unique and beautiful. Unfortunately, it was too far out of the way for that trip. But I brought the book home, showed it to my wife, and—my curiosity getting the better of me—began researching the saint’s life, finding what little information was available in English.

This isn’t just an English problem, though. Only one complete account of his life survives, copied in the early 20th century from a now-lost 16th-century manuscript that combined both his biography and the service celebrated on his feast day at the monastery that bears his name.

The Life of Saint John Lampadistes

St. John was born in the village of Lampadis (or Lampadou), near today’s Galata and Kakopetria. This is not insignificant, as Sts. Paul and Barnabas passed through the village on their missionary trip around 45AD. Here, they picked up a follower, who would become the first bishop and martyr of the Cypriot Church—Saint Heracledius. The future St. John was the only son of the village priest, Papa-Kyriakos, and his wife Anna, both devout Christians. From an early age, John displayed extraordinary intelligence and piety. His parents ensured he was educated in the Holy Scriptures, and his remarkable spiritual sensitivity foreshadowed his future sanctity.

As a youth, one story tells, he miraculously restored a bunch of grapes to the vine after being unjustly struck by his father for picking them before the vineyard was blessed. This early miracle revealed his holiness and obedience even in the face of suffering.

As he reached maturity, his parents sought to arrange a marriage for him. However, John’s heart was set on serving God in purity and virginity. In one version, he prayed for divine guidance and heard within him the words of Christ: “He that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.” When he confided his wish for a celibate life to his betrothed, she refused, and her family—angered and spiritually corrupted—conspired against him. The saint's father-in-law, angered by John’s refusal to fulfill his marital duties, sought the help of a sorcerer to blind him by poison. Through witchcraft, they served him poisoned fish, causing him to lose his sight.

Though deprived of physical sight, he gained profound spiritual vision. He bore his suffering with great patience and without complaint, forgiving his persecutors and consoling his grieving parents. Blindness became his crown of sanctity.

Led by his faithful servant, also named John, the young saint left his village and withdrew to the valley of Marathasa, near the Monastery of St. Herakleidios. There, John lived a life of strict asceticism, fasting for days at a time, praying unceasingly, and teaching others through his example. His life of holiness illuminated all around him, and he became known for his miracles, healing, and deliverance of the possessed.

At the age of 22, sensing his approaching death, he saw three vultures circling above—a sign that his soul’s departure was near. Three days later, after fervent prayer, he peacefully surrendered his spirit to God. His father buried him with honor. Soon, light was seen shining from his grave, and the sick and possessed came seeking his intercession. His relics were found incorrupt, and his heart, preserved like a dried fig, became a source of healing. His remains were later translated to the Church of St. Herakleidios at Kalopanayiotis, where the monastery dedicated to St. John Lampadistes still stands today.

Known as a healer and exorcist—“the one who removes demons,” as chronicler Leontios Machairas wrote—St. John Lampadistes remains one of Cyprus’s most beloved saints, an enduring light of purity, humility, and divine wisdom.

Venerable Father John, Pray to God for us!

After returning from Cyprus—and driving my wife half-crazy with stories of my time there—we decided that we would go together on a pilgrimage to the Island of Saints. Among the holy places, we planned to spend a day on the Holy Mountain of Kykkos—the spiritual heart of the Church of Cyprus. While looking at the map, it suddenly hit me: “The Monastery of St. John Lampadistes is only a fifteen-minute detour on the way back!”

So, we made our detour.

The monastery, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, has not been active for some time. Yet, as in so many places in Cyprus, the sanctity of the site is palpable. Centuries of liturgy and prayer have left a mark on the island that cannot be erased. As we entered, we were struck by the beauty of the iconography. The monastery is unique not only for the age of its frescoes but also because it is actually three churches now joined together.

This complex includes the Church of St. Herakleidios (11th century), the Church of St. John Lampadistes (12th century), and a former Latin chapel. Over time, the walls separating the three temples were removed. The frescoes in the first church date to around the 12th century—they are unique to their time and region, simple yet deeply beautiful, with a surprising amount of Old Testament imagery.

The frescoes in the Church of St. John date closer to the 18th century, since fire destroyed the earlier ones. Interestingly, the iconostasis contains images of both the Byzantine double-headed eagle and the Lusignan lion—a legacy of Richard the Lionheart, who conquered Cyprus as a logistics base for his Crusade. The Latin chapel, converted after the final withdrawal of the Latins from the region, preserves the most complete series of Italo-Byzantine paintings in all of Cyprus.

At one point, the Turks raided the monastery and scratched out the eyes of the saints in the lower frescoes—but the ancient icons of St. John were left untouched. His skull is preserved in a reliquary set in a niche within the arch of his church.

As we left the church and explored the rest of the complex, we realized the site was close to closing. We stopped by the gift shop, where—surprisingly—they had Greek editions of the Life of Fr. Seraphim Rose. We picked up some gifts for our nieces, an icon of All Saints of Morphou, and, at long last, I was able to find an icon of St. John. I probably should have bought more than one, but our luggage was already heavy and our wall space at home limited.

It was the culmination of a six-month journey—from seeing a faded icon in a small neighborhood church I stumbled upon by chance, to finding a book about that saint’s monastery in an archaeological gift shop, to finally traveling halfway around the world to venerate his relics in person.

But why?

Sometimes you find a saint; other times they find you. The reason why isn’t always immediately clear. But one thing I know for certain is this: there are no coincidences. The Lord places saints in our paths because He knows we will need them—not because He doesn’t already know our needs or cannot answer our prayers directly, but to further reveal His inexpressible, inexhaustible glory.

God is wondrous in His saints, and we should be grateful when He reveals them to us.

Saint John Lampadistes, pray to God for us.

Apolytikion in the First Tone
The glory of Lampados and the adornment of Cyprus who was shown forth as a wonderworker, O our Righteous Father John; By fasting thou hast utterly conquered the irrational thoughts of the flesh, therefore thou didst receive from heaven the grace of healing, O God-inspired one. Glory to Him Who gave thee strength, glory to Him Whom crowned thee, glory to Him who worketh through thee healings for all.

UOJ-USA Lives of Saints

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