When he was eighteen years old he left the Flavian monastery and went to Jerusalem. From there he headed to the Eastern desert to meet Euthymius the Great. Euthymius sent him to a convent, which was run by the holy Theoktistos.
Agios Savvas during his stay in the convent shone because of his character and his virtues. In fact, he was so serious and moral – despite his young age – that he was married pedagogue from Euthymius the Great. As Saint Savvas grew up, he fed his spirit more and more, which is why he was honored with the gift of miracles. This charisma he enlisted in the service of the poor and the sick and thus he accomplished important works.
For the sanctity of his life and for his great fame, he was sent twice by the Patriarch of Jerusalem as ambassador to Constantinople, to King Anastasios and then to Justinian.
At the age of ninety-four, the
534 AD, ascended to the Lord in peace.
In 584 AD, the Relic of Saint Savvas was recovered uncorrupted when his tomb was opened to bury Abbot Kassianos. It was initially preserved in his Monastery and then transferred to Constantinople, during the period of the Arab raids.
There are two traditions about the time of his arrival in Venice. According to the first, the Relic was transferred to Constantinople, from where in 1026 AD. it was stolen by the Venetian noble Petros Centranico (later Doge, 1026 – 1031 AD), during the days of Doge Tribunio Menio (982 – 1026 AD), he took it to Venice and deposited it in the Church of Saint Anthony.
According to the second tradition, the Relic was never transferred to Constantinople, but was preserved in Agios Ioannis of Acre, from where it was transferred by the Genoese to their rival city of Venice. in 1257 AD the Venetians succeeded in transporting the Relic to Venice.
The presence of the Relic of Saint Savvas in Venice is confirmed by the relative confession of the Sabbatean Monk Sophronios to the Metropolitan of Russia Saint Makarios, in 1547 AD.
In 1965 AD, following the actions of Patriarch Benedict, the Roman Catholic Church returned the Relic to the Patriarchate of Jerusalem and it has been kept in his Monastery ever since.
His memory is celebrated in East and West on the 5thDecember.
Absolute
Ἦhos a’. Citizen of the desert.
Hearer of the holy ones and of the angels, as you were sanctified as a child, Savva that is. Because heavenly life is lost, you manipulate towards divine life by true word and deed, leading the believers to you. Glory to the one who gives you strength, glory to the one who crowns you, glory to the one who works for you all heals.
