Saint Haralambos was born in the village of Dafnes in the province of Temenous of Crete on August 3, 1723 and had three brothers. Since early childhood he showed signs of purity and his friends and relatives noticed that, as a child, he would retreat to a cave, during rest hours, and pray to God. His burning desire for asceticism and conscious devotion to the commandments made him worthy of visions of the Virgin Mary. His visions led him to the Monastery of Panagia Kalyviani dedicated to the Holy Virgin where he became her faithful servant. When he reached the Monastery, near the Turkish occupied village of Kalyvia, he met a number of monks who were not dressed in the traditional cassock for fear of the Janissaries. They were Cryptochristians and passed off as poor men.
As soon as the Saint established himself in the Monastery he took an active role in promoting the free practice of faith, uncompromising to his principles in spite of the threats from Janissaries. At that time, the lush and fertile valley of Messara was in the hands of the Turks. The Orthodox Christians were deprived not only of spiritual but also of corporeal nourishment. The presence of Venerable Haralambos soothed the pain, he alleviated the grief of the Christians in the area, and his intervention was very effective. Gradually the Christians acquired more and more concessions by the Turks.
Among his many miracles in life, he performed one for the wife of the Muslim Aga of Kalyvia, with the result that all the members of her family were baptized Christians.
The Saint served the Panagia and the local population for more than twenty-five years. The indefatigable servant of the Mother of God had begged her mercy. The Mother of God lent a willing ear for his fervent requests and fortified him to stand up against the demands and threats from the Janissaries. On August 23, 1788, the Saint passed away at the age of 65.
In the days of the late Metropolitan Timothy of Gortyni and Arcadia, who came to the throne in 1956, when the courtyard of the Monastery was being fixed next to the old church, a grave was found from which a fragrance poured out and relics were discovered. Saint Haralambos then began to appear to many people in the village of Dafnes. Metropolitan Timothy built a church in honor of Saint Haralambos, and it was consecrated by Metropolitan Makarios of Gortyni and Arcadia on 9/29/2012.
Source: master-of-tarot.blogspot.com
