Saint Tuchicus
Saint Tychicus is greatly honoured in Cyprus. In his Orthodox synaxary he is mentioned as being from the then Roman province of Asia Minor, born, probably, at Ephesus. He was a disciple of St. Paul and his constant companion. It seems that Paul selected him along with others to be send to Cyprus in order to man the Church of Cyprus and was ordained bishop of Neapolis which is the present day city of Lemassol. However the Roman Martyrology (Acta Sanctorum Feb. 19, pg. 126 c.) claims him as being a native of Paphos and places his commemoration as being bishop of Paphos and not Neapolis. The Cypriot chronicler Kyprianos also claims him as being bishop of Paphos, while Macheras, another Cypriot chronicler claims him to be bishop of Neapolis.
It seems therefore that there is a confusion about the identity of Saint Tychicus since he is claimed to have been born at different places and being bishop of two different Bishoprics. The basis of this confusion is the fact that both these Bishoprics are located in Cyprus and therefore it was easy to get him mixed up.
Among all this confusion, one great possibility seems to be the answer and this possibility is that Saint Tychicus was not one person, but two different persons with the same name. In Cyprus it is a common occurrence no have a local, native saint having the same name as that of a more widely know saint who is usually not from Cyprus. Such local saints bearing the names of widely known saints are to be found in many locations on the island. It seems therefore that a local saint of Cyprus bears the same name as that of the widely known Saint Tychicus and this is from where all the confusion arose from.
The biggest support for this hypothesis is to be found at the small, humble village of Mesana in Paphos, where in such an unlikely place there is a church dedicated to Saint Tychicus. The existence of the church in this village has not been given any importance by anybody in the field of hagiology mainly because it is unknown to them. However, the village of Mesana could give all the answers since more then likely the local Saint Tychicus of Cyprus was born here and for this reason he is honour in this village. It is also more then likely that it was this saint who was bishop of Paphos while Saint Tychicus, the friend of Paul, was bishop of Neapolis.
From the village of Mesana also comes the following amazing story as to how saint Tychicus was born in the village:
One day, Christ came to the village of Mesana for a visit. All the mothers got their children ready so that they would take them to Christ to bless them. A woman of the village who could not have children saw this preparation and felt very sad since she wanted to also have a child to be blessed by Christ. Her desire was so great, that she took a white, big, and long stone, wrapped it in diapers to look like it was a baby, and presented herself to Christ along with the other mothers. A great miracle happened then. When Christ gave His blessing, the stone came to life and it turned into a baby! Thus, this woman became a mother, and gave her child the name Tychicus (which derives from the Greek word "lucky"). For this reason Tychicus dedicated his life ministering for the One who gave him life.
The memory of Saint Tychicus is celebrated on December 8.
It seems therefore that there is a confusion about the identity of Saint Tychicus since he is claimed to have been born at different places and being bishop of two different Bishoprics. The basis of this confusion is the fact that both these Bishoprics are located in Cyprus and therefore it was easy to get him mixed up.
Among all this confusion, one great possibility seems to be the answer and this possibility is that Saint Tychicus was not one person, but two different persons with the same name. In Cyprus it is a common occurrence no have a local, native saint having the same name as that of a more widely know saint who is usually not from Cyprus. Such local saints bearing the names of widely known saints are to be found in many locations on the island. It seems therefore that a local saint of Cyprus bears the same name as that of the widely known Saint Tychicus and this is from where all the confusion arose from.
The biggest support for this hypothesis is to be found at the small, humble village of Mesana in Paphos, where in such an unlikely place there is a church dedicated to Saint Tychicus. The existence of the church in this village has not been given any importance by anybody in the field of hagiology mainly because it is unknown to them. However, the village of Mesana could give all the answers since more then likely the local Saint Tychicus of Cyprus was born here and for this reason he is honour in this village. It is also more then likely that it was this saint who was bishop of Paphos while Saint Tychicus, the friend of Paul, was bishop of Neapolis.
From the village of Mesana also comes the following amazing story as to how saint Tychicus was born in the village:
One day, Christ came to the village of Mesana for a visit. All the mothers got their children ready so that they would take them to Christ to bless them. A woman of the village who could not have children saw this preparation and felt very sad since she wanted to also have a child to be blessed by Christ. Her desire was so great, that she took a white, big, and long stone, wrapped it in diapers to look like it was a baby, and presented herself to Christ along with the other mothers. A great miracle happened then. When Christ gave His blessing, the stone came to life and it turned into a baby! Thus, this woman became a mother, and gave her child the name Tychicus (which derives from the Greek word "lucky"). For this reason Tychicus dedicated his life ministering for the One who gave him life.
The memory of Saint Tychicus is celebrated on December 8.
Saint George Koumanon
Saint John Chrysostom was born in 347 AD in Antioch.He was exiled by Byzantine Queen Evdoxia three times because of his moral and irreproachable life. He died from exhaustion during his third exile, after doing a three month long march under strict surveillance on 14 September 407, in the city of Komana in Pontos. His body was buried in Komana and stayed there for 30 years. During 434, one of his disciples by the name Proklos became Patriach of Constantinople, who after 4 years asked the Byzantine Emperor Theodosius, to transfer the relics of the Saint to Constantinople. Indeed, the coffin of the Saint was moved to Constantinople with many honours, which was placed in the church of the Holy Apostles in the Holy Alter and below the altar next to the body of Saint Gregory the Theologen. The holy relics of the Saint remained in the church of the Holy Apostles until the first fall of the city of Constantinople to the Crusaders in the year 1204. After the looting that followed, the holy relics of Saint John Chrysostom and Saint Gregory were transferred to Venice and later to Rome. After over 800 years, the sacred relics of Saint John Chrysostom and Saint Gregory the Theologian, were recently transferred from Rome back to Constantinople which is now called Istanbul .
Before the fall of Constantinople in 1453, holy relics of Saint John Chrysostom were send by edict to Megisti Lavra Monastery in Mount Athos by the Emperor Ioannis Tsimiskis (969-976 AD) and a piece of the left hand of the Saint was send by edict in July of the year 1284 by the Andronicus Palaeologus (1282-1328), to Philotheou Monastery in Mount Athos. Also, parts of the holy relics are kept in Monasteries of Vatopedi, Iveron, Saint Dionisios and Docheiariou, also in Mount Athos. Holy relics of Saint John Chrysostom could have also reached Cyprus since in the small and isolated village of Mesana in Paphos, there is a Monastery dedicated to Saint George of Komana, and the designation "Komana" is related to the city of Komana in Pontos and possibly relics of Saint John Chrysostom, were kept there after being transferred to Cyprus from the city of Komana via Constantinople.
During the time when Constantinople fell to the Turks, the Queen in Cyprus was Helen Palaiologina, a Greek woman, the niece of the last Byzantine emperor Constantine Paleologos and wife of the Luzinian King of Cyprus John II (1432-1458). She was a dynamic woman and also had a determined and ruthless animosity towards the Latin clergy, and became the protector of the Greek Orthodox Cypriots. Helen Palaiologina has made Cyprus a shelter to many Greek refugees, especially monks and built many important buildings such as churches and monasteries, which she was to support as much as possible, with benefits and other help. A great number of monks arrived in Cyprus from Constantinople after the fall of the city, who were helped by the Queen and who were channeled into new monasteries in all parts of Cyprus.
One of these monasteries created by monks from Constantinople could also have been the Monastery of Saint George of Komana in the village of Mesana in Paphos, which was built around 1480 below the village, towards to the east, and beside the west bank of the river Diarizos. Traces of murals in the church of the Monastery match with Constantinopolitan palaiologeian Byzantine art and local folk art. The few frescoes of the Monastery which have survived to remind us of its old glory, are similar in style to those found at the Monastery of the Holy Cross of Agiasmati just outside the village of Platanistasa which was also founded by refugee monks in 1491, who came to Cyprus after the fall of Constantinople. The monks probably brought the relics of Saint John Chrysostom to the this Monastery in Paphos, which were transferred by them to Cyprus, and thus introduced the name "of Komana" for the Monastery.
In the village of Mesana which currently has only 30 residents, there is the following tradition associated with the Monastery of Saint George of Komana: Many years ago, a peasant from Mesana, went to the Monastery and prayed to the miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary which was in a stand just outside from the church of the Monastery, in order for his son to get well from his illness. Besides doing his prayer to the Virgin Mary, the peasant also gave to the Monastery two oxen which he had brought with him as votives for the treatment of his child. His child got healed, but the father returned to steal back his votive oxen. The Abbot of the Monastery was aware of the fraudulent nature of the votive giver, and had smeared the icon of the Virgin Mary with honey, which in return the two oxen licked up but also managed to smear all over their bodies. The stolen oxen were easily recognized by the honey they had on them, and the votive giver had to accept that the oxen were indeed dedicated to the Virgin Mary, and were returned to the Monastery.
During the visit the Russian monk traveler Vasili Barsky to the Monastery of Saint George of Komana in 1735, the traveler writes that"The cells were in a damaged condition, and resided there the Abbot and two monks. Neither the Archpriest nor the Christians of the area showed any interest for the Monastery". Indeed, the Monastery was abandoned up until a few years ago, and only it's church survived, and even that, it was ready to fall down. Thankfully the Department of Antiquities restored the church of the Monastery and so it was saved from complete destruction. Due to the distance and isolation of the region where the Monastery is built, its existence remains unknown not only to the great majority of the Cypriot people but also to most of the local population of Paphos.
Before the fall of Constantinople in 1453, holy relics of Saint John Chrysostom were send by edict to Megisti Lavra Monastery in Mount Athos by the Emperor Ioannis Tsimiskis (969-976 AD) and a piece of the left hand of the Saint was send by edict in July of the year 1284 by the Andronicus Palaeologus (1282-1328), to Philotheou Monastery in Mount Athos. Also, parts of the holy relics are kept in Monasteries of Vatopedi, Iveron, Saint Dionisios and Docheiariou, also in Mount Athos. Holy relics of Saint John Chrysostom could have also reached Cyprus since in the small and isolated village of Mesana in Paphos, there is a Monastery dedicated to Saint George of Komana, and the designation "Komana" is related to the city of Komana in Pontos and possibly relics of Saint John Chrysostom, were kept there after being transferred to Cyprus from the city of Komana via Constantinople.During the time when Constantinople fell to the Turks, the Queen in Cyprus was Helen Palaiologina, a Greek woman, the niece of the last Byzantine emperor Constantine Paleologos and wife of the Luzinian King of Cyprus John II (1432-1458). She was a dynamic woman and also had a determined and ruthless animosity towards the Latin clergy, and became the protector of the Greek Orthodox Cypriots. Helen Palaiologina has made Cyprus a shelter to many Greek refugees, especially monks and built many important buildings such as churches and monasteries, which she was to support as much as possible, with benefits and other help. A great number of monks arrived in Cyprus from Constantinople after the fall of the city, who were helped by the Queen and who were channeled into new monasteries in all parts of Cyprus.
One of these monasteries created by monks from Constantinople could also have been the Monastery of Saint George of Komana in the village of Mesana in Paphos, which was built around 1480 below the village, towards to the east, and beside the west bank of the river Diarizos. Traces of murals in the church of the Monastery match with Constantinopolitan palaiologeian Byzantine art and local folk art. The few frescoes of the Monastery which have survived to remind us of its old glory, are similar in style to those found at the Monastery of the Holy Cross of Agiasmati just outside the village of Platanistasa which was also founded by refugee monks in 1491, who came to Cyprus after the fall of Constantinople. The monks probably brought the relics of Saint John Chrysostom to the this Monastery in Paphos, which were transferred by them to Cyprus, and thus introduced the name "of Komana" for the Monastery.In the village of Mesana which currently has only 30 residents, there is the following tradition associated with the Monastery of Saint George of Komana: Many years ago, a peasant from Mesana, went to the Monastery and prayed to the miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary which was in a stand just outside from the church of the Monastery, in order for his son to get well from his illness. Besides doing his prayer to the Virgin Mary, the peasant also gave to the Monastery two oxen which he had brought with him as votives for the treatment of his child. His child got healed, but the father returned to steal back his votive oxen. The Abbot of the Monastery was aware of the fraudulent nature of the votive giver, and had smeared the icon of the Virgin Mary with honey, which in return the two oxen licked up but also managed to smear all over their bodies. The stolen oxen were easily recognized by the honey they had on them, and the votive giver had to accept that the oxen were indeed dedicated to the Virgin Mary, and were returned to the Monastery.During the visit the Russian monk traveler Vasili Barsky to the Monastery of Saint George of Komana in 1735, the traveler writes that"The cells were in a damaged condition, and resided there the Abbot and two monks. Neither the Archpriest nor the Christians of the area showed any interest for the Monastery". Indeed, the Monastery was abandoned up until a few years ago, and only it's church survived, and even that, it was ready to fall down. Thankfully the Department of Antiquities restored the church of the Monastery and so it was saved from complete destruction. Due to the distance and isolation of the region where the Monastery is built, its existence remains unknown not only to the great majority of the Cypriot people but also to most of the local population of Paphos.HISTORY
Many scholars argue that the beginning of the history of the village dates back to the "younger years. The above view shows the absence of the village in medieval maps. The existence of the Monastery of St. George of Komana, church built in the 15th century, however, raises questions about the above position. From the late 19th century until the mid 20th century, according to census figures, the population continued to grow Mesana.Henceforth, the population began declining, mainly due to the phenomenon of urbanization. Specifically, from 1881 to 1946, the inhabitants of one hundred twenty-nine amounted to three hundred thirteen. Then, from 1946 until today, the number of residents dropped to about one tenth -1/10
| YEAR | POPULATION | YEAR | POPULATION |
| 1881 | 129 | 1946 | 313 |
| 1891 | 163 | 1960 | 304 |
| 1901 | 172 | 1973 | 250 |
| 1911 | 219 | 1976 | 213 |
