August 22, 2022

Panagia Prousiotissa and the Woman Who Fell Down a Steep Cliff With Her Baby


On the right side of the church of the Monastery of Panagia Prousiotissa there is a frightening cliff with a very deep chasm. If someone falls it is considered certain that they will be killed. Even to approach it and look down, it is difficult to bear and you step back.

Once, during the celebration of the Monastery on August 23rd in honor of the Apodosis of the Dormition of the Theotokos, the wife of a Priest happened to be standing in this dangerous spot, holding her baby in her arms.

However, due to the overcrowding she was pushed and tumbled into this "deadly abyss" along with her child, falling into this steep cliff and pit.

When the people saw this they were saddened, while her relatives ran with a hieromonk from another place to the bottom of the chasm to collect their remains and bury them.

But when they reached that part of the pit, they saw the presbytera whom they thought was dead, sitting on a stone and nursing her child. In fact, neither she nor the baby were injured at all.

Surprised by this fact, they picked her up and took her back to the Monastery.

When they asked her to tell them exactly what happened at the time of the fall, and how she was unharmed, she told them:

"When I fell down the cliff, I didn't manage to say anything except this: "My Panagia Prousiotissa, help me!" And the Lady Theotokos, as you see, protected me, both me and my child.
 
From The Great Synaxaristes. Translation by John Sanidopoulos.