The Church of Saint Nicholas of Ichthys in Psari, Corinth

The Holy New Martyr Nicholas was born around 1520 in Ichthys (or Psari), a village of Corinth. When Nicholas was twelve his parents John and Kali died from an unknown cause. As an orphan Nicholas joined some fellow villagers seeking a better life and went to Selybria of Eastern Thrace, near the city of Constantinople. There he married a Christian woman and bore children. His childhood poverty made him merciful towards the poor, whether they were Christians or Muslims. However, certain Muslims slandered him and accused him of ridiculing the Islamic faith, and this was reported to the ruler of Constantinople named Sinan, a relative of Suleiman the Magnificent. Brought before the ruler, Nicholas denied that he had ridiculed Islam, yet he still confessed his Orthodox Christian faith after being told to renounce it and embrace Islam or die. For this he was thrown in prison for four days without food or water, and on the fifth day the ruler had Nicholas bound throughout his body with chains. Then he was brought to a public place in Constantinople where a great fire was lit, and there he was slowly burned to death. This took place on Thursday, February 14, 1554.

A pious Christian recovered Saint Nicholas' sacred skull for a payment to the Turks, and he brought it to the Great Meteoron Monastery, where it is still kept today. Four years later, in 1558, Saint Damaskenos the Studite wrote his life and composed a service to the Holy Neomartyr. Unfortunately, however, this text and his memory became lost to history, until 1928 when a copy was discovered in the ruins of the Monastery of the Holy Trinity in Siamou, in Pindos, by Metropolitan Ezekiel of Thessaly (1874-1953). This Monastery had been one of the 420 monasteries in Greece destroyed by the Bavarian Protestants when Otto became King of Greece. News of this discovery was of particular interest to the residents of the small village of Psari in Corinth, where Saint Nicholas was born and raised, and they immediately claimed him as their patron.

In 1968 the residents of Psari built a church in honor of Saint Nicholas of Ichthys, although it was not consecrated until June 5, 1988 by Metropolitan Panteleimon of Corinth. On June 6, 1992 the skull of Saint Nicholas returned to his homeland in Psari from Great Meteoron Monastery, to the great joy of the faithful. A portion was left behind, while the rest of the skull was returned to Meteora. The interior of the church was decorated with iconography in 2006, among which depict the life story of Saint Nicholas. His memory is celebrated on February 14th and the Sunday after June 5th.

The Service of Saint Nicholas can be viewed here.

Apolytikion in the Fourth Tone

Being of like manner with the martyr athletes, and a champion of those in need, entreat the Master of all, to grant peace to the ecumene, and to our souls the great mercy.

Apolytikion in Plagal of the First Tone

Having accomplished your martyrdom well in the stadium, you were made worthy of the bright lot of martyrdom, and you grant to the faithful heavenly grace. Wherefore your beautiful fatherland, is glad in you, Neomartyr Nicholas, do save us from all our needs, through your intercessions O Saint.

Saint Nektarios and the Secular Spirit of Patriarch Meletios Metaxakis

St. Nektarios of Aegina

The following is taken from an interview with Nun Chrysafenia, who was twelve years old when St. Nektarios reposed, but she would often stay with him at his Monastery in Aegina:

I will tell you about when Bishop Meletios came (this is Meletios Metaxakis, who was the Metropolitan of Athens at the time and later became Ecumenical Patriarch). The nuns had lit candles. They gave me the basket with the roses. As I was holding it they would grab them from there and sprinkle them on him! When Meletios left, Saint Nektarios was upset. I approached him.

"Why my Grandpa are you upset? What's wrong?"

Monk Christophoros Papoulakos and the Bavarian Occupation

In spite of the times, we will not cease to mention sacred guides of the past, to strengthen, revitalize and recreate.

This year completes 150 years since the venerable repose of Papoulakos. He wholeheartedly fought foreign influences, western traditions foreign to Orthodox tradition. He criticized the heterodox monarch, who closed many monasteries and demolished Byzantine sacred churches. Because of his fiery sermons he was persecuted, afflicted, exiled and imprisoned.

The modernizers of those times accused him of being a miscreant, because they were bothered by his words. The people followed the ingenuous fighter, the well-rounded preacher, the landless monk, the raso-wearing confessor. From early on Papoulakos understood that western theology was unorthodox and anti-orthodox.

Western theology wanted to bring heaven down to earth, to keep Christians in slavery, to cultivate arrogant humanistic humanism, all of which bring atheism. He decided therefore to teach great truths to the people while risking his life.

The Bavarokratia (Bavarian Occupation) was strongly against the Orthodox clergy. They wanted to Frankify everything. They were strongly resisted against by General Makrygiannis, Kosmas Flamiatos, the Kollyvades, the Philokalikoi, the Athonite Fathers, and the fearless Papoulakos.

Christophoros Panagiotopoulos, or Christopanagos, or Papoulakos, or Papoulakis, was born in the small village of Arbounas in Kalavryta around 1780. He lived moderately and measured, with three brothers, and he was a trader of animals. From a young age he loved study, prayer and monasticism. Thus he departed for the Monastery of the Great Cave, where he was tonsured a monk.

He returned to his village and outside of it he built a monastery, which he dedicated to the Panagia. With several attempts he managed to receive license to become a preacher. With hard work and sacrifices he began his tour, teaching against atheistic education across the Peloponnese.

In 1833 the Church of Greece split from the Ecumenical Patriarchate, led by Theoklitos Pharmakidis and instigated by Georg von Maurer. Monasticism was hunted, the Protestant missionaries worked undisturbed, and Papoulakos wanted to react dynamically.

He continued to preach his sermons despite having his license taken away, like a young Saint Kosmas Aitolos. Many were hostile to him, like Adamantios Korais, Theophilos Kairis, Theoklitos Pharmakidis, and others. Because of his work he was captured in 1851 in Achaia for the first time. The people listened to him with attention and loved him very much. His sermons turned to divine signs and prophecies.

The people followed him faithfully and undaunted. With treachery he was arrested in 1852 and taken to the prisons of Rio. He was then confined to the Holy Monastery of the Prophet Elias in Santorini and then to the Holy Monastery of Panachrantos in Andros. And there he did not cease his soul-profiting teachings and exhortations.

Papoulakos was a simple, honest, poor, and honorable monk. He loved Orthodoxy and Greece, Christ and the Truth. He followed the path of a confessor, a martyr, an ascetic and an evangelist of souls. Therefore, the faithful people loved him and honored him as a saint.

He surrendered his spirit on January 18, 1861 - 150 years ago. His memory remains vivid for his purity, authenticity, humility and truthfulness in his life. Selfless, sacrificial and giving personalities are necessary also for today. Languid, feeble, dark and troubled days like ours want heroism, bravery, courage and daring.

In our wasting, dim and difficult days we once again need a clarion call to repentance, recovery, reconstruction and correct standing. Secularism has become tired, Mimicking has worn us out, Westernization has manipulated, Syncretism has deceived, Ecumenism has missed. We need the courageous voice, heroic spirit, the confession of faith, and the fervent faith of the Venerable Papoulakos.

Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.

 

 

The Holy Monastery of Saint Marina in Andros

The Monastery of Saint Marina is located opposite Apoikia of Andros, where comes the famous water Sariza, and dates from 1325 A.D.

Saint Marina had revealed herself to an ascetic elder and indicated to him to find her icon which was hidden in a slit of a rock. Emperor Emmanuel II Komnenos in turn financed the erection of this Holy Monastery.

During the 16th century, the Monastery burned down three times by pirates, losing its old glamour, and in 1743 there were only five monks. Then Saint Marina brought to the Monastery the Hieromonk Sophronios, who sold his property in the Peloponnese and fully refurbished the Monastery and converted it to a female convent in 1746. This brought many women from Andros to dedicate their lives as monastics, and eventually 100 nuns lived at the Monastery.

Following the Greek War of Revolution, Orthodoxy in Greece suffered under the Protestant Bavarocratia of Otto. Under the Bavarians 417 monasteries in Greece were forced to close in 1833. Saint Marina Monastery was among these, and closed in 1833. The holy icon of Saint Marina was purchased by the Emberikou family to preserve it. They placed it in a church dedicated to the Panagia, and there it remained safe for 146 years. Meanwhile, the Monastery was fully destroyed during this period.

One and a half century passed, and in 1975, the Metropolitan of Syros, Tinos, and Andros Dorotheos, passing through the ruins of the Monastery, asked with pain of heart that his Deacon Kyprianos rebuild the Monastery. Kyprianos denied the request because he had other plans, but that night he received a visit from Saint Marina, who appeared in his dreams and said: "I am Marina, and I with my two sisters Paraskevi and Katherine live in the Monastery. Because of the decree of Otto we were cast out and live a little above the Monastery and we will come again to live here. Me, you will see every day. Together we will struggle and rebuild the Monastery. Receive then the command of your Master. You listening Kyprianos!"

So Fr. Kyprianos worked hard for five years and rebuilt the Monastery. In 1976 the wonderworking icon of Saint Marina returned to the Monastery. In the same Monastery is a wonderworking icon of the Panagia which miraculously brings back to life dead flowers during the first fifteen days of August. A similar miracle takes place at the Monastery of St. Nicholas, also in Andros.

The Monastery has now become famous, and Saint Marina has performed many miracles, revealing her presence and love.

Read also: Astonishing Contemporary Miracles of Saint Marina on the Island of Andros