July 31, 2011

Saint Panteleimon Monastery In Kalymnos


For over 200 years the miraculous icon of Saint Panteleimon has been kept at the Monastery of Saint Panteleimon in western Kalymnos, where it was discovered in a cave.

The Monastery was once a metochion of Panagia Hotzevitissas in Amorgos. In 1780 Hieromonk Gerasimos Gerasimou came to the Monastery and founded a secret school (κρυφό σχολειό) to educate the Orthodox population who were under the Turks. According to historian John Zervos, this Monastery is the oldest in Kalymnos, and goes by the name "Holy Monastery". It functions as a male monastery till today and celebrates its feast on July 27th, which is the principle feast of Kalymnos in the summer.