Saint Conon the Isaurus

Saint Conon the Isaurus
Celebration date: 05/03

Saint Conon was born around the end of the 1st century AD. in Vadini, a village of Isauria in Asia Minor and lived in the Apostolic times. His parents, Nestor and Nada, were originally pagans. He became a Christian at a young age and when his parents pressured him to marry, he agreed with his wife to live as brothers dedicated to God.

In Synaxari it is mentioned that the Saint was guided by the Commander-in-Chief Michael, who also baptized him, taught him the Name of the Holy Trinity, imparted the Holy Mysteries to him, until the end of his life, supported him and even granted him the grace of paradoxes miracles.

Saint Conon led his parents to the Christian faith, and Nestor’s father martyred for Christ. But also the Greeks, who resisted him and said that there is no other God apart from idols, he convinced them and prepared them to confess Christ with a loud voice and to be baptized. With the grace of God, the Saint subdued the demons and some protected the fields by his command, while others were locked in jars.

But his pagan fellow citizens resented his missionary activity and the influence he exercised over the Gentiles. One day the Saint visited a pagan temple, where he prayed fervently to the Lord. The result was that all the idols of the temple were broken into pieces. For this reason he was captured by the lord Magno and tortured. When he was released, the Christians treated him and surrounded him with their respect.

After two years, Saint Conon slept in peace giving his holy soul to God.

Perhaps there was a temple in the name of Agios Kononos, which was beyond Constantinople and is mentioned as a monastery during the reign of Emperor Justinian I (527 – 565 AD).

During the years of iconoclasm, Christians brought to Paphos the saint Kara of the holy martyr, which is kept to this day in the Holy Monastery of Chrysorroiatissa in an elegant silver case.