November 29, 2022

Saint Philoumenos Visits an Ailing Woman in the Hospital


In the spring of 2006, Mrs. Maria L. visited the Monastery of Saint Nicholas in Orounta, Cyprus. She entered the temple and began to reverently venerate the icons of the iconostasis.

But when she arrived in front of the icon of Saint Philoumenos, she stopped, looked at it with emotion and began to sob. After a while she told one of the sisters who was in the temple at that time the following:

"Not long ago I had a great adventure with my health. I entered the hospital for some treatments, but the doctors didn't give us any hope for me to live. While I was in this very difficult situation, I saw in a vision a priest, who was wearing an epanokalimavkion, as seen here in the icon.

The priest stood next to me, 'passed' over my body a black cloth he was wearing, which looked like a cloak, and left. The next morning I was completely healthy and even the doctors were puzzled as to what had happened. So, without being able to give any explanation for my miraculous recovery, they gave me permission to return home. A few days later I was at the house of some of my acquaintances and there I saw a small icon of Saint Philoumenos. Then I was shocked to find that the priest who had visited me in the hospital was the Saint of the icon!

My acquaintances informed me about the life of the Saint and that I could venerate his icon and holy relic in the Monastery of Saint Nicholas, located in Orounta, and that is why I came here today." 
 
Source: From the book Holy Hieromartyr Philoumenos the Cypriot, published by the Holy Monastery of Agios Nikolaos, Orunda Cyprus. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.