A woman named Paraskevi Ch. related the following to the fathers of the Monastery of Saint Raphael in Ano Souli, about how the Saints had led her to visit their monastery:
"A very difficult situation in my life had made me break down, without being able to find support anywhere. My life was all darkness and totally meaningless. None of the people close to me could give me the slightest help or hope.
It was at that difficult moment that Saint Raphael had taken pity on me and had approached me. His presence was so frequent and vivid, that I could not consciously realize what I was experiencing. They were the most soul-stirring moments of my life.
I recall one of the Saint’s visitations at night, in my sleep, which had been the reason for me to acquaint myself with his Monastery at Ano Souli in Marathon: Well, I saw in a dream that I was walking along a dirt road, and that I kept stumbling. Suddenly, I saw myself falling off a cliff and grabbing hold of a small, protruding tree branch which was ready to snap off. Saint Raphael and Saint Nicholas then immediately appeared. Saint Raphael stood upright, while Saint Nicholas with a radiant smile offered me his hand to grab hold of, and said: 'Did you think we were going to let you fall off the cliff?'
Soon after, we found ourselves in another place, and Saint Nicholas again said to me: 'Near here is the Monastery of Saint Raphael at Ano Souli. Do you know it? You should take some of these crocuses there...,' and then, giving me a flower (a yellow chrysanthemum), he continued: “...and place them next to Saint Raphael’s icon.' While in that place with the Saints, a young girl with blond hair showed up; it was Saint Irene.
Thus, this dream, in addition with a reminder by the Saint (a booklet on the consecration of Saint Raphael's Church at Ano Souli that fell into my hands on my return home from a summer swim) had led me to visit the Saint's Monastery at Ano Souli, Marathon for the first time, where I found my mental and physical health, the peace that was missing from my life, and where I was also rid of the difficult situation that I had lived through. My life has acquired another meaning now; the presence of Saint Raphael and his companions give me the answers to my everyday doubts and questions.
He is the one who shows me the path that I must follow, and I thank him sincerely for that. I love him very dearly."
"A very difficult situation in my life had made me break down, without being able to find support anywhere. My life was all darkness and totally meaningless. None of the people close to me could give me the slightest help or hope.
It was at that difficult moment that Saint Raphael had taken pity on me and had approached me. His presence was so frequent and vivid, that I could not consciously realize what I was experiencing. They were the most soul-stirring moments of my life.
I recall one of the Saint’s visitations at night, in my sleep, which had been the reason for me to acquaint myself with his Monastery at Ano Souli in Marathon: Well, I saw in a dream that I was walking along a dirt road, and that I kept stumbling. Suddenly, I saw myself falling off a cliff and grabbing hold of a small, protruding tree branch which was ready to snap off. Saint Raphael and Saint Nicholas then immediately appeared. Saint Raphael stood upright, while Saint Nicholas with a radiant smile offered me his hand to grab hold of, and said: 'Did you think we were going to let you fall off the cliff?'
Soon after, we found ourselves in another place, and Saint Nicholas again said to me: 'Near here is the Monastery of Saint Raphael at Ano Souli. Do you know it? You should take some of these crocuses there...,' and then, giving me a flower (a yellow chrysanthemum), he continued: “...and place them next to Saint Raphael’s icon.' While in that place with the Saints, a young girl with blond hair showed up; it was Saint Irene.
Thus, this dream, in addition with a reminder by the Saint (a booklet on the consecration of Saint Raphael's Church at Ano Souli that fell into my hands on my return home from a summer swim) had led me to visit the Saint's Monastery at Ano Souli, Marathon for the first time, where I found my mental and physical health, the peace that was missing from my life, and where I was also rid of the difficult situation that I had lived through. My life has acquired another meaning now; the presence of Saint Raphael and his companions give me the answers to my everyday doubts and questions.
He is the one who shows me the path that I must follow, and I thank him sincerely for that. I love him very dearly."
