The homeland of this marvelous Spiridon was the island of Cyprus. The son of simple parents, farmers, he himself was simple, calm and a virtuous man. From childhood he was a shepherd. Then he married at a young age and had children. He led a pure and godly life, imitating David in meekness, Jacob in kindness, Abraham in hospitality. Not many years later, his wife died, and he began to serve God in good works even more freely and earnestly, spending all his property for the care of strangers and the nourishment of the needy. Living in such a way in the world, he pleased God so much that our Lord bestowed him with the gift of miraculousness: He healed incurable diseases and by word expelled devils from men. Therefore, he was appointed bishop of the city of Trimituunt during the reign of Emperor Constantine the Great and his son Constantine. And on the Episcopal throne he continues to do great and wonderful miracles.
Our St. Spyridon lived most of his earthly life in Cyprus, where he also reposed in 348 AD. He was buried in the Church of the Holy Apostles in Trimythous.
When the Saracens took the island, the Cypriots decided to open his grave in order to remove his sacred bones to Constantinople. They were astonished as they found that his body had remained intact and from the grave emanated a scent of basil. These were true signs of the sainthood he had shown during his lifetime. When Constantinople fell in 1453, he was transferred to Serbia, then a Corfiot elder, Georgios Kalohairetis, brought him to the island of Corfu in Greece where he is currently buried.
The relics of St. Spyridon have very unique properties. Not only have they been intact for centuries, they also have preserved the suppleness and softness as found in the ordinary, living human body.
His hair and nails grow and to this day St. Spyridon’s incorrupt relics at his shrine in Corfu continue to manifest the power of God, who is wondrous in His saints. He is called the “walking saint” because the silk slippers which clothe the feet of his relics wear out each year from his travels to help people, and are replaced each year on his feast day. These slippers have also been known to work miracles through the prayers of St. Spyridon, and we are blessed to have a pair of these very slippers at his monastery in Jerusalem.
His intact body has a constant temperature of 36.6 degrees and this phenomenon has been investigated by scientists all around the world. Unable to come up with a rational scientific explanation, they only spread their arms confused and call it a miracle.
Saint Spyridon is known for calling forth rain in the midst of drought, casting out demons with a single word, healing the sick and even raising people from the dead, in addition to having the gift of prescience.
When he arrived back home from Nicea a woman told him that she had given his daughter, who had died while he was away, some jewelry for safekeeping. Now that his daughter was dead, no one could find where she had put them. Spyridon went to his daughter’s grave, spoke to her, and was able to find out and restore the jewelry to its owner.
Also during a famine Spyridon changed a snake into gold pieces so that a poor man could buy food from a greedy merchant who had cornered the supply.
One day there was only himself and the deacon and readers in church at vespers and the responses could be heard beautifully chanted by an unseen choir. The music was so beautiful that others, passing by, heard it and saw through the windows what seemed like a large congregation. Entering the church, however, they found only St. Spyridon and his assistants chanting.
May the glorious Lord who gave us Saint Spyridon the Great Wonder-worker be glorified.