Saints of The Greek Orthodox Church


Saint Barnabas

 

   
   The Church celebrates St Barnabas' memory on the 11th June.

He was born in Cyprus, from Jewish parents. His name was Iosis, but the Apostles called him Barnabas, which in Greek means "Son of prayer" for he had a great charisma to give courage and advice others to be kind and offer help.

For many years he settled in Jerusalem where he met with Jesus Christ, whom he followed, as one of his disciples. He belonged to the team of 70 select disciples of Jesus. Characterized by kindness, he sold the only piece of land he had in order to help the poor, and to earn his living he took up a manual job. He lead the previously opponent of Christians Paul to the disciples and connected him with them. Later on they worked together in Antiochia and undertook their first apostolic mission together. However, they split later on, when Barnabas and his cousin Mark went to Cyprus, where they founded Christianity in the whole of the island. He became so the founder of the Church of Cyprus. He died around 60 AD in the city of Salamis as a result of stoning by the Jews. He was buried nearby and the monastery built years later in his memory has been under Turkish occupation since 1974.

   
     

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