Corfu religion
The majority of Corfiots are Greek Orthodox, following the official religion of Greece. Apart from Orthodox churches on the island there are also Catholic, Protestant, Anglican, and Jewish churches as well as other smaller groups who meet regularly.
Greek Orthodox Corfu
Saint Spyridon - Patron Saint of Corfu Island
Saint Spyridon (270-348) is a saint honored in both the Eastern and Western Christian traditions. Sait Spyridon was born and worked as a shepherd in Cyprus where he was known for his great piousness. He married and had one daughter, Irene. Upon the death of his wife Spyridon entered a monastery, and their daughter a convent. Spyridon eventually became Bishop and took part in the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea (325), where he was instrumental in countering the theological arguments of Arius and his followers. Spyridon fell into disfavor during the persecutions of the emperor Maximinus, but died peacefully in old age.
When the Arabs took Cyprus, Spyridon's body was disinterred and taken to Constantinople. In 1453 when Constantinople fell to the Turks Spyridon's relics were removed to Corfu by a Corfiot monk called Kalohairetis. They still remain in Corfu.
The relics of St Spyridon are taken in procession every Palm Sunday and on other special occasions, for veneration by the faithful. All Philharmonics of Corfu, including the Philharmonic Society of Corfu take part in these ceremonial events. The relic of his right hand is now located in Rome.
Saint Spyridon's miracles
Spyridon is the patron saint of potters and the island of Corfu, "Saint Spyridon, the Keeper of the City" for the miracle of expelling the plague from the island. It is believed by the faithful that the plague, on its way out of the island, scratched one of the fortification stones of the old citadel to indicate its fury for being expelled. This scratch is shown to visitors to this day.
St Spyridon is also believed to have saved the island at the second great siege of Corfu which took place in 1716. At that time the Turkish army and naval force led by the great Sultan Achmet III appeared in Butrinto opposite Corfu. On July 8th the Turkish fleet carrying 33,000 men sailed to Corfu from Butrinto and established a beachhead in Ipsos. The same day the Venetian fleet encountered the Turkish fleet off the channel of Corfu and defeated it in the ensuing naval battle. On July 19th the Turkish army reached the hills of the town and laid siege to the city. After repeated failed attempts and heavy fighting the Turks were forced to raise the siege which had lasted 22 days.
There were also rumors spreading among the Turks that some of their soldiers saw St. Spyridon as a monk threatening them with a lit torch and that helped increase their panic. This victory over the Turks, therefore, was attributed not only to the leadership of Count Schulenburg who commanded the stubborn defense of the island against the Turks but also to the miraculous intervention of St. Spyridon.
Recognizing St. Spyridon's role in the defense of the island Venice legislated the annual "Litany of St. Spyridon" on August 11th as a commemoration of the event. His feast day is celebrated in the East on the Saturday before Great Lent (known as "Cheesefare Saturday") and December 12th. For those Eastern Churches which follow the traditional Julian calendar, December 12th falls on December 25th of the modern Gregorian calendar. In the West he is commemorated on December 14th.
Saint Spyridon of Corfu and Tolstoy Family
St. Spyridon is also the patron saint of the Tolstoy family. Andrei Tolstoy (fl. 15th century) chose St. Spyridon as the family's saint and he remains so in both branches to this day. The Grand Prince of Muscovy Basil II (1425-1462) apparently gave a golden cross containing relics of the saint to Andrei. This reliquary has survived to this day and is held by the senior member of the Tolstoy family, now Count Nikolai Tolstoy.
Saint Spyridon Church, Old Corfu Town Centre
The tallest tower in Corfu is Saint Spyridon's church which can be seen from all over Corfu town. Built in 1596, the body of St. Spyridon rests in the church after arriving in Corfu in 1456. Ceiling decorations originally consisted of gold-plated wood carved by P. Doxaras who took until 1727 to complete the work. Due to the lack of preservation the decorations were replaced later by Nicolaos Aspiotis.
Contact info at Saint Spyridon Church, Old Corfu Town centre: Tel +30 26610 39779 / 33059
Corfu Processions
Around April - Palm Sunday - commemorates the deliverance of the island in 1630 from the deadly plague. The relics of the Saint pass through the streets accompanied by all the island's philharmonic bands. The procession sets out from the Saint's own church at 11 in the morning and follows the line of the old town walls, from where the Saint drove out the disease.
Around April - Easter Sunday - The second and oldest procession was established in 1550 in thanks for the relief of the island from famine. This procession traditionally takes place on Easter Saturday starting at 9 in the morning.
1st Sunday of November - The third procession commemorates the Saint's intervention in saving the island from plague a second time (1673) and is held on the first Sunday in November.
11th August - The fourth procession takes place in memory of the deliverance of the island from the Turks after the month-long siege of 1716.
Catholic Corfu
There is a small percentage of Catholics (4%) who owe their faith to their origins, mostly families who came from Malta, but also from Italy and England.
The Catholic Archbishopric was established in Corfu in 1310 by Charles of Anjou, and it has maintained a constant presence on the island ever since. Today the Catholic community consists of about 3500 people, (mostly of Maltese descent) who live almost exclusively in the town, living harmoniously side-by-side with the Orthodox community. They are much involved with philanthropic works and are responsible for an extremely well-run old people's home.
Up to 1923 the two communities celebrated Easter together, but following the adoption of the Gregorian calendar the celebrations separated as the dates of Easter did not always coincide. In 1964 the Catholic Bishop made an application to the Holy See requesting that Easter in Corfu might be celebrated jointly, in order to avoid family disputes. Approval was granted by the Pope, and within 2 to 3 years the decision was adopted by the other Catholic bishoprics of Greece. Exceptionally in Corfu, on the Catholic Easter Sunday there is a church service for visiting Catholics.
Jewish Corfu
The Scuola Greca Synagogue was built during the 17th century in the Venetian architectural manner. It is the only synagogue remaining on the island of Corfu out of three that existed before World War II. It is maintained by the small Jewish Community of Corfu in relatively good condition. The Jewish Cemetery of Corfu contains tombstones of historical interest.
It has to be noted though that maintenance works started in 2002 and have progressed really well. The preservation works are already included in the list of Corfu's actions in the UNESCO effort.
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