This past week Metropolitan Joseph of the Princes' Islands, from the Ecumenical Patriarchate, visited the Pilgrimage Church of Saint Nikephoros the Leper, which is located at the place the Saint was born and raised in Sirikari, Kissamos. He went their to fulfill his own personal vow to the Saint and celebrated the Divine Liturgy as a priest. At the end of the Divine Liturgy, Metropolitan Amphilochios of Kissamos introduced a young family for whom Saint Nikephoros performed a miracle and they came to the shrine to fulfill their vow to the Saint. He shared the following:
"Among us are two young people, a young couple, Nicholas and Vasiliki, who came from Athens especially for today's Divine Liturgy, to share with us the miracle of Saint Nikephoros in their personal lives. The cute angel they have with them is little Nikephoros, their child, a miracle of Saint Nikephoros, the fruit of their prayer. Vasiliki's pregnancy, according to science, should have ended in tragedy. The child had to be removed before he was even 6 months alive, as there was a great danger to the mother's life. The child was delivered prematurely (before the 6th month of pregnancy), less than 1 kg, with non-existent chances of life, with insurmountable difficulties. Vasiliki, having miraculously heard about Venerable Nikephoros whom she did not know before, read his book, had an experience with the Saint, and every day, with the pain of a mother together with her husband Nicholas, she prayed to Venerable Nikephoros, doing his Supplicatory Canon and pleading with him to keep alive their angel, who remained intubated. And Saint Nikephoros listened to their prayers and performed the miracle! The child not only lived, but also enjoys extremely good health! As a small sign of gratitude to the Saint, they named him Nikephoros and today they are with us to fulfill their own vow and to share with us this great miracle."
"Among us are two young people, a young couple, Nicholas and Vasiliki, who came from Athens especially for today's Divine Liturgy, to share with us the miracle of Saint Nikephoros in their personal lives. The cute angel they have with them is little Nikephoros, their child, a miracle of Saint Nikephoros, the fruit of their prayer. Vasiliki's pregnancy, according to science, should have ended in tragedy. The child had to be removed before he was even 6 months alive, as there was a great danger to the mother's life. The child was delivered prematurely (before the 6th month of pregnancy), less than 1 kg, with non-existent chances of life, with insurmountable difficulties. Vasiliki, having miraculously heard about Venerable Nikephoros whom she did not know before, read his book, had an experience with the Saint, and every day, with the pain of a mother together with her husband Nicholas, she prayed to Venerable Nikephoros, doing his Supplicatory Canon and pleading with him to keep alive their angel, who remained intubated. And Saint Nikephoros listened to their prayers and performed the miracle! The child not only lived, but also enjoys extremely good health! As a small sign of gratitude to the Saint, they named him Nikephoros and today they are with us to fulfill their own vow and to share with us this great miracle."
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
