By Bishop Grigorios of Mesaoria
The Orthodox Church commemorates today Venerable Marcellus Abbot of the Monastery of the “Unsleeping Ones”.
Venerable Marcellus lived in the 5th century AD, under Patriarch Gennadius I (458 – 471 AD) and King Leo I. He was a native of the city of Apamea in Syria and his family was wealthy. His parents were well-educated and he also received a very good education. However, his heart was fully devoted to the Orthodox faith and therefore he was not interested in a high society lifestyle.
He went to Ephesus, where he entered a monastery and became a monk. Then, he went to Constantinople, to the monastery of the “Unsleeping Ones”. There, he earned the respect of the other monks, as he was modest and intellectual. He became Abbot of the monastery, which he decided to renovate.
Having built a reputation of a great ascetic, Venerable Marcellus fell asleep in the Lord at the Monastery of the “Unsleeping Ones”.
Source: Church of Cyprus