Venerable Архипп Херотопский (в Хонех)

Righteous Archippus of Herotopus (Chonae) served for 60 years as sacristan of a church dedicated to the Archangel Michael in Asia Minor, in the locality of Herotopus near the city of Chonae (Colossae), becoming widely renowned for his virtuous life and unceasing labor of prayer. According to tradition, envious pagans, wishing to destroy the church, diverted the waters of two mountain rivers toward it. In desperate prayer, righteous Archippus called upon the Archangel Michael for help, and soon the Archistrategos himself appeared at the walls of the church, and, striking the mountain with his staff, opened a wide cleft in it (Greek "chone," from which the later name of the locality, Chonae, derives), into which the flood waters rushed, leaving the church unharmed. This event came to be called the "Miracle of the Archangel Michael at Chonae" and is celebrated separately on September 6/19. Archippus lived at the church into old age, reposing at 70 years of age, and was buried at Herotopus, the site of his labors. His memory is kept on the same day as the Commemoration of the Miracle — September 6/19.