Cristodulus (1022–1100)

Biography

Sometimes to avoid the visits of his admirers; others to flee from the Turks. He even traveled to France to study the Cluny reform. When his disciples increased, he decided to settle with them on the islands of the Aegean Sea: Cos, Patmos and Euboea. He began with Kos, and then asked the Byzantine emperor for the island of Patmos. He accepted with one condition: that they first go to Thessaly to reform the convents in that region. Christopher fulfilled that mission as best he could and wrote for them a treatise, Way of Serving God, which, however, seemed to the monks too difficult to understand and, above all, to practice. So our reformer said goodbye to them and returned to the emperor, who thought that such a beautiful book would someday convert its recipients and ended up granting Patmos to the author. But Christopher would not end his days on Patmos. The Turks appeared again and forced him to escape. He took refuge with his family on the island of Euboea, where he died.