A sacred heirloom that belonged to the Metropolis of Morphou and was stolen during the Turkish invasion, was repatriated today.
According to an announcement by the Archdiocese of Cyprus, a few weeks ago, a reliquary was found in a European country, in which the holy relics were still preserved, including those of Saint Mammes.
Soon it was found that the reliquary was totally identified with the reliquary that was in the church of Saint Mammes in Morphou until the Turkish invasion of 1974.
The reliquary was withdrawn from an auction and was given to the Holy Metropolis of Morphou.
It is post-Byzantine, wooden, in the shape of a book and covered externally with leather. Inside it contains a silver plate on which are attached pieces of relics of Saint Mammes, Panteleimon (Pantaleon), Charalambos, Neophytos, Tryphon, Philip, Bishop Michael of Synades, Polydoros, and John Lampadistis.
The names of these saints are engraved on the plaque. On the middle of the plate there is a cross with an inscription, referring to the name of the donor and the date of the construction of the reliquary: “Hieromonk Chariton, 1835.”
