Will Alkass recalls finding out about St Titus while on a recent visit to Crete
On a recent visit to the island of Crete, my wife and I came across the church of Saint Titus in Heraklion, the capital city. Having a healthy interest in religious and historical matters, this encounter raised my curiosity and prompted me to research the subject.
About St Titus
So how much is known about Saint Titus? Saint Titus was born in Crete to a Greek-speaking gentile noble family with roots to the Minoan dynasty, which dominated Crete as the earliest civilization in Europe two thousand years before Christ.
He was well-educated and spent some time in Jerusalem where he became an eye-witness of the Passion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. He is first mentioned in history in about 49 AD, as a fellow and companion of St Paul, having been converted by him. Titus later accompanied Paul in his journeys in Asia and Europe as well as carrying the 2nd letter that St Paul wrote to the Corinthians from Philippi. After Paul's release from house arrest in Rome in 62 AD, he took Titus with him to Crete and left him in charge of the new fledgling church there. There was one more meeting between the two in Nicopolis, on the south west coast of Greece, after which Titus was sent on a mission to Dalmatia, in modern Croatia.
In his letter to Titus which he sent with Zenas and Appolos, Paul reminds Titus of: the reason why he had left him in Crete, how he should be a model to others with his conduct, how Christians in general should conduct themselves, Titus' responsibility to appoint elders to churches in every town with clear “eligibility criteria”, how to teach the correct doctrine, and Paul also warned Titus of some “bad elements” and trouble makers within the church! In his final greetings, Paul reminds Titus that believers should spend their time doing good deeds so that their lives will not be useless. He then sends his greetings and closes with a benediction: “Grace be with you all”.
Titus died in about 105 AD at the age of 94. In summarising his life achievements, one could say that Saint Titus was a troubleshooter, peacemaker, administrator, and a missionary who dedicated his life to the foundation and nurture of the early church and the Christian faith. His memory is venerated on 25th August in the Eastern Orthodox Churches and on 26th January in the Roman Catholic Church, Church of England and The Episcopal Church. He is the patron saint of the United States Army Chaplaincy Corps.
The Holy Church of Saint Titus, Heraklion
The Holy Church of Saint Titus the Apostle in Heraklion has a very interesting history. In the early 6th century a grand basilica with a wooden roof was erected in Gortys, about 40 minutes drive south of Heraklion, which housed the relics of St Titus. This centre grew to become a great place for political and religious affairs in the whole East. There followed a gap in information during the period of the Arab conquest of Crete (820 - 961 AD). After the liberation of Crete by the Byzantines, the centre of power was moved to Heraklion (known as Chandax then) where another magnificent cathedral was built at its present site and where the skull of St Titus was kept.
With the Venetian occupation of Crete (1210), certain modification were made to the church; however, it was not to last very long, as it was destroyed in the first half of the 15th century. It was then reconstructed in 1446 under the auspices if the Latin Archbishop in Crete but unfortunately that basilica did not fare any better than the previous one as it was destroyed by fire. Miraculously, the relics of the saint and other valuables were not burnt!
In 1557, an equally magnificent basilica on the same spot was erected. When Crete was invaded by the Ottomans in 1669, the valuable possessions of the church were secretly taken to Venice for safety. The Ottomans undertook extensive modifications to the building before they converted it into a mosque, known as Vizier Mosque. Further bad luck was to befall the building as more damage was inflicted during the earthquake of 1859.
In 1869, a new grand mosque was erected under the auspices of the Grand Vizier Ali Pasha with architectural features combining both Byzantine and Ottoman designs contributed by Athanasios Moussis. Finally in1922, following the exchange of populations between Greece and Turkey, the building in its present form was rendered to the Orthodox Christian worship in May 1925.
In 1966, the skull of St Titus was brought back from St Mark's Cathedral in Venice to its final resting place in the church. Extensive restorative work has been carried out on the church between 1974 and 1988.
Reflecting its eclectic history, the architecture of the church bears various rather unique features. The exterior walls are made of sculptured porous stone. The interior has a central point with a dome, surrounded by 4 columns and a narthex. The base of the minaret can still be seen attached to the southwest corner of the narthex.
Comments