The Monastery of Kapsas, is located east of Makrygialos, on the way to Goudouras. The monastery's full name is the Monastery of Saint Jhn Kapsas and is a glebe land of the Monastery Toplos, near Vai and Sitia.
The monastery looks like being carved on the hill, next to the Pervolakia Gorge, overlooking the Libyan Sea and Koufonissi opposite.
Te Monastery of Kapsas celebrates on August 29, the day that the church honors the Beheading of Saint John the Baptist. Thousands of believers come from different parts of Crete from the previous evening to attend the great feast, even on foot from the neighboring villages.
The Monastery of Kapsas was founded in the 15th century according to the most prevalent version, while, according to other sources, it was founded much earlier, in the 14th or even in the 13th century.
In 1471 Turks raided by the sea and destroyed a big part of the monastery. The area passed from the hands of various owners and was known by the name of one of them, called Kapsas.
The half-ruined monastery was restored 400 years later by the monk Joseph Gerontogiannis, who made it known, not only throughout Crete, but also in the rest of Greece. Gerontogiannis' work was continued by his grandson, Joseph Gerontakis, and the subsequent abbots after him.
The Monastery of Kapsas was a center of resistance against the German occupation army in 1941-1944. Here, Greek and British rebellious resorted to hide, and then to be broken out to Egypt with British submarines. Abbot at the Monastery of Kapsas at that time was Hilarion Sintychakis, who, together with the rest of the monks, was forced to leave the monastery in November 1943 after an order by the Germans. They returned after the end of the war.
Saint Joseph Gerondogiannis
In 1799, was born in the half-deserted monastery, John Vitsentzos or Gerontogiannis, the man who was to restore the Monastery of Kapsas in 1861. In the first years of his life, Gerontogiannis, was not what we would call a virtuous and good Christian. He was rather a troublemaker, untamed, merciless man who used the monastery and the adjacent gorge to hide when the Turks were hunting him.
He married and acquired 4 children, 3 daughters and one son. On a Sunday, Gerontogiannis left with his wife Kalliopi to sell wood and buy wine from the neighboring villages of Chandras and Armenous. The children were left alone and this proved fatal to one of his daughters who burnt herself in fire. Gerontogiannis interpreted this tragic accident, as a divine punishment for his sinful life, and because he did not observe the Sunday holiday.
Since then, his life has changed completely, as well as his character. Gerontogiannis devoted his life to the charities and worship of God. It is said that he had visions and healed those who came to him and asked for his help. The Monastery of Kapsas, where he lived, became famous all over Crete, and many believers came from afar to pray. One of those believers was the then owner of the area, Hatzinikolaos Zafiris who, in 1841, ceded it to Gerontogiannis to renovate the monastery.
Gerontogiannis worked hard for the renovation of the monastery, but the information about what he found in the Monastery of Kapsas in 1841 is incomplete. The only certain thing is that there was the cavernous temple of Saint John, a well with brackish water, and two half-broken residences that were restored and there are still today.
The works at the Monastery of Kapsas were continued for years, and in 1861 was added the second aisle of the Monastery dedicated to the Holy Trinity. The wood-carved iconostasis of the Monastery Kapsas was built in 1869 by Hatziminas and was painted in 1874 by Antonis Alexandridis.
Gerontogiannis himself, who became a monk named Joseph, dwelled in a cave 100 meters from the monastery and continued to preach and heal until his death on 6 August 1874. Today he is honored as Saint Joseph Gerondogiannis on August 7th.
In the following years, Gerontogiannis' grandson, Archimandrite Joseph Gerontakis, was the one who extended the facilities at the Monastery of Kapsas, brought water to the monastery, and cultivated the estates in the surrounding area.
