November 8, 2011

Message In A Bottle: A Miracle of the Archangel Michael Panormitis


The Archangel Michael Panormitis, apart from the countless confirmed miracles that he has done and is doing for hundreds of years in this Holy Monastery of Symi, performs (as we shall see below) a timeless (over the centuries), while globally unique, miracle for those who are believers in various parts of the world and are unable to bring themselves to the monastery.


The monastery is located in the southern tip of the island and is built on the beautiful bay of Panormos, which even from the first Christian centuries was one of the central locations of devotion to the Angels. Todays holy church (in which rules the miraculous icon of the Archangel Michael) was built in 1783, and the iconography was done in 1792 by two indigenous painters, the monks Neophytos and Kyriakos Karakosti. Lastly, above the main gate of the monastery is the famous Belfry of Panormitis (built in 1911), which resembles Russian Bell Towers.

So the great and timeless miracle mentioned above has happened and is happening to anyone with true faith in the only true God, the Lord Jesus Christ.


He who is unable at present to visit the monastery, can in a small bottle, either from bottled water or juice (preferably plastic, to be more resistant), place incense, a paper with a list of names of whoever one wants prayers for under "For the Health of the Living" and "For the Repose", and a piece of paper with the name, address and telephone number of the sender. It may also include a letter to the monastery, on any matter of concern which the petitioner would like to become a matter of prayer in the holy monastery.

Having placed all these offerings to the Archangel and closed the bottle, the petitioner can, either from a port or a ship found in the open waters, throw the bottle into the sea, after praying to the Archangel Michael Panormitis and asking him to lead it himself to the Monastery of Symi.


The Panormitis will receive the bottle with the offerings contained within and it will eventually reach Symi in the bay of the Monastery, or otherwise become entangled in fishing nets off the island. In every case, however, the final destination will be to land intact in the hands of the people of the monastery, who in turn (as confirmation of the miracle, "to the glory to God") will send back a thank-you letter to the faithful who sent it, thanking him for the offerings.

In the holy monastery are kept till our day offerings, which traveled alone for the Panormitis from around the world (for example from Australia) and from different eras.

In the old days, the faithful sent in the way mentioned above their offerings in glass bottles, and even boxes!

Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos

Read also: Holy Panormitis Monastery of the Archangel Michael in Symi