Saint Irene of Chrysovolantos

July 28th
Troparion
Leaving all the world behind with its impermanent glory, thou wast wedded unto Christ, the King immortal and holy, bringing Him as precious dowry thy maiden beauty and thy trophies won through abstinence over demons. O Irene, our righteous Mother, entreat thy Bridegroom to show His mercy to us. 

St. Irene was a beautiful noblewoman, of Cappadocia, who was to be wed to Michael the heir to the imperial throne. She was on her way to Constantinople and she determined to be wed only to the King of Kings. She was relieved upon arriving at the city to learn that Michael had married someone else. She gave up her wealth and joined the Chrysovolantos monastery. Even as a novice, she devoted herself to an extremely strict discipline of prayer. She brought many to the faith and persuaded many to become nuns. Many times she cast out demons and prophesied. One night the demons were so upset by her prayers, they set her clothes on fire. An angel appeared above her with her crown, but some of the nuns came with water and extinguished the fire. Her skin healed in a few days. When the Abbess was about to die, she expressed her wish that Irene succeed her. Patriarch Methodius did not know of that , but was led of the Spirit to come to the monastery and ordain Irene as Deaconess and Abbess. The three golden apples she holds in her hands were delivered to her by a sailor who said that he had received them from St. John the Theologian for her. They were fruit of Paradise. St. Irene loved to spend all night in prayer. One night she was outside praying and one of the other sisters went to look for her. She saw her standing high in the air and several cypress trees were bowed down toward her. The nun thought perhaps she had just seen a vision, but when she went to the clearing by daylight, she saw handkerchiefs tied to the very tops of these tall cypress trees. She lived to be 101 and reposed in the 10th century.

This Icon is by the hand of Nicholas Papas.

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