Simeon of Thessalonica

Holy Venerable Simeon of Thessalonica was, with his brother Theodore, the founder of the monastery of Mega Spilaion (the Great Cave) in the Peloponnese, and the shepherdess Euphrosyne is honoured beside them.

Their calling

Simeon and Theodore were born at the beginning of the fourth century in Thessalonica, of devout and educated parents, and studied theology, philosophy, rhetoric and poetry. At that time desert asceticism flourished, and the young men, inspired by its examples, began the monastic life: first on Mount Olympus, then on Ossa and Pelion. They visited ascetics on the Athos peninsula and travelled to the Holy Land and Sinai. On returning from Sinai, in Jerusalem, they received the priesthood, ordained by Bishop Maximus of Jerusalem. In Jerusalem both had the same dream: the Mother of God, accompanied by the apostles Paul, Andrew and Luke, commanded them to go to Achaia and find there her icon painted by Saint Luke. With the bishop's blessing they set out for the north-⁠eastern coast of the Peloponnese, where three apostles had preached: Paul at Corinth, Andrew at Patras and Luke in the outer lands of Achaia.

The icon found

In Achaia they asked God to show them the way, and that same night, in a dream, the Lord told them to go to the river Buras, two hours' walk away, and find there a devout shepherdess named Euphrosyne, who would lead them where the icon was. The next morning the shepherdess was waiting and greeted them by name. Amazed at her foresight, they did not dare approach. Noticing it, Euphrosyne called on the Most Holy Mother of God and struck with her staff the rock on which she sat; at once a spring of pure water gushed from the rock, which still bears her name. She told them that she lived in the neighbouring village of Galata and often pastured her father's flock near a tall rock. Twice she had seen a goat from her flock climb the rock to the entrance of a cave and come back with a wet muzzle. Euphrosyne guessed there was a spring and climbed up; making her way through the thicket to the mouth of a huge cave, she heard someone calling her by name. She looked round and saw high on the wall an icon of the Mother of God, from which a voice commanded her to wait for the coming of Fathers Simeon and Theodore. The monks climbed into the cave and found everything just as she said. They reverently took the icon down, brought it out, and returned to clean the cave. They set fire to the brush and rubbish and waited at the entrance until it burned out, when from the cave a giant snake flew out as if on wings, roused by fire and smoke. The brothers and Euphrosyne leapt back in fear, but from the icon a lightning flash burst forth and pinned the snake to the ground. Inside they found a table at which, according to tradition, Saint Luke himself had served the Liturgy and written the Gospel. After a time they enlarged the cave and built a small chapel and a few cells.

The monastery

The news of the icon spread over the whole peninsula, Christians came to venerate it, and through it the Lord worked many miracles. Monastics gathered about Simeon and Theodore, and the brothers went about the Peloponnese preaching the Gospel and inspiring its people toward Christianity. In the reign of Julian the Apostate the brothers were driven out for a short time, but after his death they returned. Both fell asleep at Mega Spilaion. Euphrosyne built herself a small cell near the cave and lived in it as a hermit to the end of her days.

The saint is commemorated on 31 October, according to the Greek calendar, in the new style; he is not included in the present calendar of the Russian Orthodox Church.