St. Apostle Simon Cananite Day in Abkhazia
Description:
On May 23, St. Simon Cananite Day is celebrated in Abkhazia. This day is of great importance not only for Orthodox Abkhazia, but for the whole Christian world, because one of the 12 apostles preached in Abkhazia, and his relics rest here. In honor of this saint, a temple was erected at the place of his burial in New Athos in the IX-X centuries.
There is a legend that at the marriage of the Apostle Simon in Cana of Galilee, the Lord performed His first miracle, turning water into wine. Having despised all worldly things, he followed Christ.
How long he preached in Abkhazia, the chronicles do not say. It is only known that he glorified Christ the Savior with many miraculous signs, and the divine teaching began to bear the abundant fruit of faith among the people.
The apostle suffered innumerable sorrows and calamities for this. And during the persecution erected by the Georgian king Aderkiy, he was crowned with a martyr's crown and buried near his cave, on the banks of Psyrtskhi.