1735

The following day I left and walked half way around the mountain, for about an hour, to the village of Omodos, which is found in the mountains … It comes under the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Paphos.

There is a church of the True Cross, with a cupola, in which is preserved the chain, or part of the rope, with which Our Lord Jesus Christ was bound during the time of the Passion. It is thin like the cords on which they hang the church oil lamps, and on it a few traces of red or yellow can be seen. They say it was bloodied by the blood of Christ. How and when they obtained it is unclear, as there is nothing preserved in the oral tradition or in church codices. There is only a mention that it was found in a bush after a vision.

The church is found within the village and is called by the common people o Stavros tou Modou, that is, the Cross of Omodos, after the name of the village.

This was the second time that I managed to worship here. The first time that I worshipped here was when I was returning from my first journey to the Holy City, and I arrived by chance on Cyprus and worshipped at several places, about which you can read above. 

Ο Σταυρός του Ομόδους με τον Τίμιο Κάνναβο
Ο Σταυρός του Ομόδους με τον Τίμιο Κάνναβο

the blessed Helena …

dedicated fragments of holy wood for the protection of the island,

which are the pride of the inhabitants  … 

and in Omodos part of the rope, with which the unfaithful have bounded our Lord.”

Archimandrite Kyprianos, Ἱστορία χρονολογικὴ τῆς νήσου Κύπρου,
Venice 1788, pp. 141-142.

In Omodos there is another renowned church, dedicated to the Holy Cross, where there are fragments of holy wood … People gather in theses churches and great feasts take place, the most important in Omodos, where those suffering from illnesses come to, and are cured, also with the mediation of fasting, and praying, and other good deeds.”

Neophytos Rodinos, Περὶ ἡρώων, στρατηγῶν, φιλοσόφων, ἁγίων καὶ ἄλλων ὀνομαστῶν ἀνθρώπων, ὁποῦ εὐγήκασιν ἀπὸ τὸ νησὶ τῆς Κύπρου,
Rome 1659, p. 141.

Feast of the Holy Cross, Omodos, 1996

video

© "Digital Herodotus" - CyBC. Used with permission.
(© Department of Antiquities of Cyprus)
(© Department of Antiquities of Cyprus)

“Saint Panaretos, Bishop of Paphos, has undertaken the renovation of the Monastery of the Holy Cross in Anogyra, which, according to an inscription found at the bottom of the silver and wooden cross, took place in 1774: ‘The present cross was donated by the Metropolitan Panaretos of Paphos, who renovated the monastery in 1774’.

The cross is kept at the church of the Holy Cross in Omodos and, as suggested, it contains fragments of holy wood. It was probably Saint Panaretos who arranged its presentation to the Holy Monastery of Omodos.”

K. Kokkinoftas, Οι άγιοι της Περιστερωνοπηγής Αναστάσιος και επίσκοπος Πάφου Πανάρετος,
Nicosia 2015, pp. 68-69.

  • Holy cross Omodos - polignosi (in greek)

  • Holy cross church, Omodos