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July 31, 2021

Saint Panteleimon and Elder Simon Arvanitis Help Remove a Car Stuck on a Mountain


The following testimony is recorded in the book of Monk Zosimas, disciple of Elder Simon Arvanitis, titled Hieromonk Simon Arvanitis (1901-1988), His Life and Works. Elder Simon was the founder and abbot of the Monastery of Saint Panteleimon in Penteli. This and many other stories like it shows the living presence of Saint Panteleimon at his Monastery.

One day I had gone to Father Zosimas, who was then living in the small Church of the Holy Evangelist Luke, behind the Monastery of Saint Panteleimon in Penteli.

On Sunday, when I was returning from the mountain, at a turn I saw an abandoned Toyota car. The driver, who was a shepherd, stopped me and begged me to help him; the car was stuck and it was impossible for the two of us to get it out.

I told him:

"I will go down to the crossroads, to the iconostasis shrine of Saint Panteleimon to call the construction workers to help us."

Unfortunately, I came back empty-handed. I told him that the workers had gone home for the day and nothing could be done.

I said:

"I will go down to Athens and bring a crane to take it out for us."

When the shepherd heard this, he said:

"No no! I'm a shepherd of the flock of Magina and the boss will get rid of me when he finds out."

The driver got in the car again, we made another attempt, he tried to get it out, but nothing happened; we were desperate, we did not know what to do.

Then I told him:

"Do you have faith within you?"

He told me:

"Yes."

I said to him:

"Saint Panteleimon and the Holy Father Simon, who built the Monastery, are here. Let us ask them to help us get it out."

I got in the car also, we both said our prayers and we shouted loudly the name of Saint Panteleimon and then of Father Simon.

The car was then thrown into the air! I realized that the trailer from behind was lifted into the air and the car got out of there without any damage.

We both lost it and we cried a lot because of the great miracle that happened to us sinners!

Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.