Christopher of Trebizond

Venerable Christopher was abbot of the Soumela monastery on Mount Mela, from 641 to 668, in the second half of the seventh century. He is sometimes called Christopher of Gazara. He is commemorated on 18 August.

He was born in a village called Gazara, in the region of Trebizond, in Pontus, in Anatolia. According to Eastern Orthodox tradition he was a simple unlettered farmer, whose life changed completely when the Mother of God appeared to him in a wonderful way as he was plowing a field. She commanded him to leave his farm, go to Mount Mela and become a priest, to renew her imperial house: to leave the oxen and the plow in the field, present himself before the bishop, tell him all that she had told him and ask him to ordain him priest. When Christopher replied that he was not worthy of the priesthood, since he could neither read nor write, the Mother of God breathed into his mouth and gave him these gifts.

He was ordained priest and later served as abbot of the Soumela monastery, where he is credited with preserving the Gospel Book of Saint Christopher.