Church of Saint Onesimus at Metaxochori
On the road connecting Choudetsi with Pirgos, at the wider area of Metaxochori village, we meet the small church of Saint Onesimus (Agios Onisimos), the only temple dedicated to Saint Onesimus in Crete. Saint Onesimus was a slave of Phrygia who escaped from his master and went to Rome in order to meet the Apostle Paul. He is considered the patron saint of prisoners and judgers and a feast takes place on February 15.
The temple is quite old and was collapsed and buried below surface till several years, when it came back to the surface in a miraculous way. One judge who drove his car towards Messara plain had an accident and his car stopped exactly where the temple was hidden. The judge considered that a miracle because he escaped death and built the old church to please his patron saint's life.
Outside the church there is a well, from which passers-by used to drink water. The water is said to have dried up after a woman put her feet inside to wash them, which was considered an insult to the saint who offered clean water to the visitors.
