The First Bishop of Crete

There's a letter addressed to him from the Apostle Saint Paul. He was known as a great peacemaker which Saint Paul considered a gift of the Holy Spirit. In fact, Paul would often send him to "solve problems" and "end quarrels." Legend says that when he visited, the guilty immediately felt regret. So who is this mystery Bishop? None other than Saint Titus!

January 26th is the joint feast day of St.s Timothy and Titus. While doing some reading on their lives, I came across a very cool fact I hadn't been aware of before... that St. Titus had likely died a natural death. And that he had been the first and only Bishop of Crete up until he died. I always find it inspiring to know that not all early Church leaders were killed. In fact, it seemed as if the Christian community on Crete was quite strong, which makes perfect sense due to Titus' reputation as a peace maker.

This is a picture of the Basilica of St. Titus in Gortyna, Crete. Originally constructed in the 6th-7th centuries, the Basilica is a prime example of an early Church basilica. Invading Saracens destroyed the Basilica in 824, but parts remain (as you can see in the picture).

Saint Titus' relics (namely his head) were taken to Venice, Italy and are kept enshrined in St. Mark's.