Saint Therapon, after whom the village takes its name, was born in Germany around the year 500 A.D. He left for Jerusalem when he was still quite young, and there became a Bishop. He also performed his first miracle, raising someone to life from the dead.
He is known to have arrived at a seaside town in Cyprus where he was welcomed by a Gideon, Bishop Tychonas. But it was a sad day for the Bishop, as it was the day of the funeral of his Church Warden who had died.
Seeing the Bishop’s sadness, Ayios Therapon asked to be taken to the dead man. On touching him, he told the Bishop that the man was not dead, but sleeping, and immediately he got up and was well again.
In the area of the village of Vouni, the people were afflicted by a severe disease known as Panoukla. Monks of the village called on Bishop Tychonas to come and pray that this terrible affliction might stop. The Bishop decided to send Ayios Therapon in his place.
Walking day and night to reach the village of Vouni, he became very tired and thirsty and stopped to rest at the place called Plakazia, now the centre of Ayios Therapon village. He called to a shepherd named Christophoros, to give him water. As he looked ahead of him, he saw a lighted candle.
At that time there was no village where he was resting. A village was being built a short distance away in an area called Liantros, but during the night it was destroyed. The people took this as a sign and stopped their building work. They relocated their village to the place where it stands today. At the point where the Saint saw the lighted candle, they built their church.
Ayios Therapon continued on his way to Vouni and when he became thirsty he drew his bow and arrow, and aimed it at the ground. At the place where the arrow (Vellos in Greek) hit the ground, water came forth for him to drink. The area around the place of the holy water (ayiasma) is know as Velis (after Vellos) and a tiny church of Ayios Therapon has been built in this peaceful setting down in the valley.
The Saint is celebrated twice a year in the village on the days of 27 May and 14 October, when the holy icon is carried outside the church and held high. The villagers walk beneath it in the belief that it will keep them healthy for the coming year.
Many people from across Cyprus still come to the main village church today to pray to the Saint, renowned for his therapeutic healing, to gain miraculous recoveries from illness.
