July 22, 2016

6 Amazing Contemporary Miracles of Saint Markella of Chios


A) A man by the name of John K. wrote a letter to the Metropolitan of Chios relating the following miracle. His daughter was born at the end of June, one day before his marriage anniversary. Some months before, while either completely asleep or half asleep, a woman spoke to him, saying: "Saint Markella, Saint Markella" over and over again. During this time they were considering what to name their child at Baptism. He then understood in a mysterious way this name was revealed for the child. Though not wishing to jump to conclusions, he prayed to God for a sign if this was truly His will. 

Five days before the birth of his daughter, he began to have strong internal pain where his right eyebrow is. After taking a shower, the pain went away, but the next day it returned. On the fourth day he went to his mother's village to do some agricultural work, all the while being in pain and praying for relief. It came to the point where the pain was so great, it brought him to his knees in tears, wishing to die rather than suffer the pain anymore. After it subsided a bit, he got in the car to return to the city with his mother, but the pain came again while he drove, and he had to pull over.

He prayed to the Panagia with tears and to Saint Paisios the Athonite, who helped him to find a wife. His mother prayed to the Panagia and to Saint Haralambos. Then he heard the Panagia speak to him internally: "Do not pray to Paisios, but to Markella, because he is helping someone else." So he prayed to Saint Markella. Immediately his hands began to feel like electricity was running through them, but they did not tremble. This surge went towards his head. This surge began to wain in time, and the pain began to go away as well. After praying to Saint Christopher he got back in his car and was able to drive back to the city, with little pain but he felt joyful. 

When he arrived home he ate and showered and went to bed, but due to the still little pain he found it difficult to fall asleep. Then he dreamed that he was in surgery, with the head surgeon, a woman, giving commands to another female surgeon to repair his head. The head surgeon was the Panagia, and her assistant was Saint Markella. Before he woke up he heard: "He had a hemorrhage of the brain, and we saved him in the last minute; he would have died. Now he will give your name to his child." The Panagia said this to Saint Markella. Then before he awoke he heard a loud sound, but when he awoke there was silence. The next day he went to a cardiologist, and everything was perfect. The next day, on 29 June 2013, his daughter was born. The hemorrhage did not return.


B) In the early 1970's Archimandrite Dorotheos Themelis of the Monastery of Saint Nicholas in Andros was suffering from a painful circulatory disorder in his lower legs. He went to Volissos and, after praying to the Saint, he immersed his feet in the healing spring. The pain immediately ceased and he went home and built a chapel to Saint Markella in thanksgiving for her help.

C) In July of 1992, an eye-witness, the Rev. Nicholas Makris, related the following incidents concerning the miraculous interventions of Saint Markella:

1) During a pilgrimage to the shrine of the Saint in Chios, as the priest began to read the Gospel over the waters of Markella’s martyrdom site, the salty sea, which is part of Aegean, began to steam and the water lost its salty taste.

2) During the Divine Liturgy at the Church of Saint Markella, as the priest spoke the words, "With the fear of God...," a Greek-American girl entered the church and called out in the presence of the people: "Father, listen to what just happened to me." But before she began her story, her gaze fell on the icon to the right of the iconostasis which pictured the bloodied head of Saint Markella floating on the waves. The girl shouted: "There, that’s the girl I saw!" And she related the incident. "My parents and I were walking towards the site of the Saint’s waters. Along the way, at the spot where the cross stands (the place where she was wounded by the arrow), I saw a woman dressed in black selling children’s toys. I said to my parents: 'Isn’t the girl here too early for the festival?' But my parents could not see her. We walked further on, and on my way back, on the same spot by the cross, I saw the black-clad girl. 'There she is' I cried out. The girl raised her hand, waved to me, and disappeared."

3) One day a thick branch broke off one of the eucalyptus trees in the church courtyard. On the spot of the break the face of a girl appeared with a halo around her hair. It was concluded that the face was that of the Saint.

D) Joanna Tsiftis Xylas writes: "In the spring of 1988, I was diagnosed with femur-patellar disease, which involved the tendons and ligaments around the knee caps being too tight, causing a constant tension on the caps being pulled to the outsides of my legs, leading to weakness and buckling. Even after an intense month of physiotherapy, there wasn't even a slight change in the condition. When my family visited the St. Markella shrine in Chios in the Summer of 1988, I walked barefoot from the beach to the place of her martyrdom. We were told that during her feast day, the ocean water will bubble like soda sparkling water when there are numerous miraculous healings. I saw the water begin to bubble, and I immediately dropped to my knees in the salty sea water. I stayed there throughout the priest's prayers and blessings. I felt a warm and tingly sensation around my knees, and when I stood up, there was no weakness or strain or even any tenderness or pain around my knees. I never felt any swelling or irritation ever again. I will never forget that experience."

In addition to the above witnessed events the church is filled with countless votive offerings by the faithful who were cured of various afflictions and are undeniable testimonies to the miracles of Saint Markella.