Two Miracles of Saint Marina

 

By Paraskevas Lambropoulos

The First Miracle of Saint Marina

 

My parents went to work in the vineyard one day. When they were coming back they told me that they would load the wood on the animal they had with them.

My mother sat down somewhere and waited for my father to load the donkey. When my father finished, she went to stand up and couldn't move.

She became stiff as she sat.

My father was trying to help her, but nothing was happening. Finally, he put her on the donkey and took her home.

The Snake of Saint Marina in Voni

At the Monastery of Saint Marina in Voni of Heraklion, Crete, on the lower right side of the iconostasis depiction of Saint Marina, we can see a small snake in a transparent bottle, which is preserved in a preservative liquid.
 

Many years ago there was a sick gypsy from Megara, as her grandson has recently testified, who came to pray to Saint Marina. Her abdomen was swollen and painful. When she was crossed and blessed with the oil from the lamp of the Saint, she "gave birth" to a snake and was relieved of her pains.

Some Contemporary Miracles of Saint Marina

 By Fr. Elias Makos

The martyric life of Saint Marina is well known. After being physically tortured by being beaten with rods and setting her wounds on fire, she endured, and then they took her head.

To whatever they said to her, she answered as strongly as she could: "I'm a Christian. I'm a Christian. I'm a Christian."

As a result of this courageous attitude of hers and her bright way of life, she became a miraculous Saint.

And this, because the Christian faith is not a theoretical ideology, but mainly a way of life.

The believer does not differ from the unbeliever in his metaphysical views, but mainly in the way he lives.

Many miracles of Saint Marina are mentioned even in our days.

Indicatively, we list some, which, like with all the Saints, reveal the signs of God's presence among us.

Saint Marina and the Twelve Year Old Girl Who Was Near Death

By Paraskevas Lambropoulos

Now I will tell you about a certain miracle a woman told me.

This miracle happened to a twelve-year-old girl. It should be noted that the girl, when she was twelve years old, was quite physically developed.

So one day she went with her father to another village, to help a family friend with the harvest. There they met someone who, as soon as he saw the daughter, said to her father:

"Hey, Haralambos, it's time you start looking for a husband! Your daughter grew up."

The Crypt of Saint Marina in Miggiano

The Crypt of Santa Marina is situated under the 14th century homonymous chapel near the cemetery of Miggiano, accessible via a staircase placed to the right of the chapel, and it is one of the gems of Salento’s rock-cut architecture. 

This is a Basilian crypt dating to the 10th or 11th centuries and consists of three rooms. The first part still preserves the fresco depicting Santa Marina on the front wall. The space on the right side, once occupied by the apse, has been used as an ossuary and still preserves the ruins of a pedestal and a column. The smaller chamber accommodates a cycle of frescoes and Greek inscriptions. Each environment presents the typical steps which act as seats and in the apse are the remains of an altar and a column. 

5 Shrines Dedicated to Saint Marina in Crete

Below are only a select five of the many shrines dedcated to Saint Marina on the island of Crete.

1. Church of Saint Marina in Halepa

The Chapel of Saint Marina is just 300 metres from Halepa Monastery. It bears the coat of arms of the Kallergis family, one of the most powerful families of the Venetian era that enjoyed unique privileges. The church contains many well-preserved frescoes. In the past, Halepa Monastery operated as a convent at this location, before moving to its present location in 1673.

Miracles of Saint Marina After Her Martyrdom in Her Church in Antioch

The first six miracles are recorded in the account of Saint Theotimos, the biographer of Saint Marina and eyewitness to her martyrdom, while the next two were recorded in another account of her life and miracles.

Saint Marina Asks Her Nursemaid and Theotimos To Build Her a Church

1) One day the nursemaid of the elect Saint Marina came to me and said that while she was praying at midnight, a dazzling light shone on her, and an angel, crowned with precious stones, and accompanied by a group of angels, appeared to her and said, "I am the Archangel Michael, who is assigned to serve Saint Marina. I came to instruct you with what you should do: Harry up and take the body of Saint Marina from the marble casket, and put it in a hidden tomb, because she is suffering from the continuous honoring of her body." The nanny said that she did not notice any crosses on him or on any one of his followers. So, she said to that angel that she was aware that the devil can appear in the form of an angel, but without a cross on him. She asked him if he could be a devil. Then I, poor Theotimos, answered her, "I saw the angels of heaven taking the soul of the great Saint Marina and ascending to heaven while they were chanting with joy. The devil surely envies the believers who are cured every day when they visit her body and gain her blessing." Suddenly, the blessed martyr Marina, came to us in a white robe with golden crosses over it. She greeted us and said to her nanny, "Blessed be the Lord who fulfilled to me all what I asked Him. He promised me that my spirit would be in Paradise, while my body will be all over the world. That way the Lord would protect all those who touch a part of my body. You should know that the one who appeared to you in the form of an illustrious angel was my enemy, the devil. Cast him away with the sign of the cross. The Archangel Michael will give those who pray to God in any place where a part of my body is kept, all what they ask for. This year all idol worshiping will cease. I ask you to build a church in my name, in the place where the marble casket is kept."

How Saint Marina Became Known as Saint Margaret in the West

There was a divergence in the veneration of Saint Marina in Eastern and Western Christianity, which culminated in the adoption in the Western tradition of the new name of the Great Martyr from Antioch - Margaret. The adoption of this new name has a long history. Already in 494 Pope Gelasius I declared her life apocryphal. West European scholars claim that her ancient liturgical veneration did not exist, and that her first hagiographic mention dates back to the 9th century (Martyrology of Rabanus Maurus).

Saint Marina, Deliverer From the Evil Spirits of the Mind

St. Marina, known as St. Margaret in the West, was martyred at the age of 15 in Antioch of Pisidia, and buried there. In the 8th century, Roman Empress Maria, wife of Emperor Leo III the Isaurian, had her relics transferred to Constantinople. The reliquary pictured held a portion of the hand of St. Marina, and was probably made in 12th-13th century Constantinople. By 1213, Marina’s relics rested in a monastery outside of Constantinople and a man named Joannes de Borea received permission to take her hand in its reliquary to Venice. The reliquary remained in Venice in the Church of San Liberale, also called Santa Marina, until its dissolution in 1810. The current location of this reliquary is in Venice, at the Museo Correr.

The Monastery of Saint Marina in Karan Varbovka, Bulgaria

Saint Marina’s Monastery is situated near the village of Karan Varbovka, Dve Mogili Municipality, Ruse Province. It is one of the oldest Bulgarian monasteries, which were built during the Second Bulgarian Kingdom (1187-1396).

After the Bulgarian Kingdom fell under Ottoman rule, the Turks began terrible persecutions, outrages and intolerable violence against the monks. The monastery was burned and torn down along with other Bulgarian sanctuaries and faded away from the peoples' memory, but the name of Saint Marina remained forever in the minds of the people.

How Saint Marina (Margaret) Became a Patron Saint of Pregnant Women and Childbirth

Saint Marina is known as Saint Margaret in the West. Whereas Saint Marina has always been highly esteemed and enjoyed wide popularity among Orthodox Christians of the East, in the West it was not always so. Her Acts were declared apocryphal by Pope Gelasius I in 494, but devotion to her revived in the West with the Crusades. Margaret is one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers, and thus one of the saints who is said to have spoken to Joan of Arc, thus increasing her veneration among the people. According to the Roman Martyrology she is celebrated on July 20, as opposed to July 17 in the East. Pope Paul VI in 1969 removed her from the list of saints because of what was considered the entirely fabulous character of the stories told of her and thus disputing her historical existence.

The Oldest Icon in Cyprus, Saint Marina the Great Martyr

Saint Marina the Great Martyr is greatly revered in Cyprus. This is most apparent by the fact that five villages of the island are named after Saint Marina (Agia Marina Xyliatou, Agia Marina Skylloura - occupied, Agia Marina Chrysochous - occupied, Agia Marina Kelokedaron, Agia Marina Marinouda), and there are around 110 churches dedicated to her.

The Holy 15,000 Martyrs of Pisidia with Many Women

15,000 Martyrs and Many Women of Pisidia (Feast Day - July 16)

Verses

To the Fifteen Thousand Martyrs of Pisidia.

Divine athletes were five and ten,
Thousand and were beheaded being as one on earth.

To the Women Martyrs.

Many women, unknown how many,
Though unknown to us, Christ knows them, having been beheaded.

During the trials of Saint Marina of Pisidia, at one point a huge cauldron was filled with water. She was then fettered to wood and raised above it, with her head down, and she was slowly lowered into the cauldron in order to be drowned. As they were about to immerse her, she prayed that the water may count towards her baptism, since she had not previously been baptized a Christian. As she entered the water, she was loosed from her bonds, stood up straight, and a dove of light shined on the head of Marina, holding a crown, and the dove spoke, saying: "Peace to you, O handmaiden of God. Take courage, and receive from the right hand of the Most High this heavenly crown." There also appeared a fiery column with a radiant Cross on top, and the dove perched atop the radiant Cross, and said to Marina so all could hear: "Come to the upper mansions of Paradise, O godly bride Marina, to enjoy the incorruptible crown in the beloved tents of God, so you may eternally rejoice with the choirs of the saints in a place of rest."

The Relics of Saint Marina (photos)

Saint Marina is one of the most beloved saints not only in the East but also in the West, where she is called Margaret. Below is a list of some of the relics of Saint Marina in Greece and elsewhere with photos.

It should be noted that some relics may be listed a number of times, for example Saint Marina's right hand. It may appear that there are multiple right hands listed, but in reality most of these are only portions of the right hand and arm that have been distributed to various places. Of course, we should not neglect the fact that in the Medieval West, relics were given false names of popular saints, and even in the East sometimes a lesser known saint relic was ascribed to a more popular one. The reason for this is because the right hand of Saint Marina was used to strike the devil with a hammer.

Synaxarion of Saint Marina the Martyr

On the seventeenth of this month [July], we commemorate the Holy and Gloriously Triumphant Martyr Marina.

Verses

By the hand of the executioner you were beheaded Marina with the sword,
By the hand of the Lord you are crowned with divine grace.
On the seventeenth Marina was beheaded.

+ + +

Who can fittingly speak of you Marina,
For your red blood was shed by the sword.
On the seventeenth Marina was killed with a sharp sword.

Saint Marina was from a village of Pisidia, and the only-begotten daughter of Aidesios, a priest of the idols, who flourished during the reign of Emperor Claudius II (268-270). When she was twelve years old, her mother died. The Saint was then given by her father into the charge of a woman, and she pleaded with God to make her worthy of the Christian faith, which was being taught by certain Christians of the village.

Saint Marina Resource Page

St. Marina the Great Martyr (Feast Day - July 17)

Verses

By the hand of the executioner 
you were beheaded Marina with the sword,
By the hand of the Lord you are crowned with divine grace.
On the seventeenth Marina was beheaded.

+ + +

Who can fittingly speak of you Marina,
For your red blood was shed by the sword.
On the seventeenth Marina was killed with a sharp sword.

Saint Marina the Great Martyr and Vanquisher of Demons

Saint Marina As A Role Model For Young Women

Saint Marina the Great Martyr as a Model for our Lives

The Holy 15,000 Martyrs of Pisidia with Many Women

The Relics of Saint Marina (photos)

Can Demons Suffer Physical Harm?

The View of Satan and Demons in Acta S. Marinae

St. Marina and Satan: A Syriac Dialogue Poem

Saint Marina, Deliverer From the Evil Spirits of the Mind

 

Fear of the Antichrist 

How Saint Marina Became Known as Saint Margaret in the West

The Icon of St. Marina With Her Relic

Miracles of Saint Marina After Her Martyrdom in Her Church in Antioch

Astonishing Contemporary Miracles of Saint Marina on the Island of Andros

Saint Marina and the Twelve Year Old Girl Who Was Near Death

 

The Athenian Festival of Saint Marina of Thiseio and the Shocking Miracle That Took Place in 1911

 

The Holy Great Martyr Marina Who Miraculously Saved Nikisiani
 

The Miracles of Saint Marina in Voni

 

The Snake of Saint Marina in Voni

 

Two Miracles of Saint Marina

 

Some Contemporary Miracles of Saint Marina

The Holy Monastery of Saint Marina in Andros

5 Shrines Dedicated to Saint Marina in Crete

The 12th Century Chapel of Saint Marina on Mount Parnitha

The Church of Saint Marina in Thiseio

Monastery of Saint Marina Atop Mount Langa in Albania

The Wonderworking Icon of St. Marina of Maistros

The Oldest Icon in Cyprus, Saint Marina the Great Martyr

Miracles of St. Marina in Cyprus (Video in Greek)

The Monastery of Saint Marina in Karan Varbovka, Bulgaria

The Crypt of Saint Marina in Miggiano

Bulgarian Orthodox Honor Saint Marina

Muslims Join Orthodox in Honoring St. Marina

Saint Marina: The Protectress of Nephrology

How Saint Marina (Margaret) Became a Patron Saint of Pregnant Women and Childbirth

The Vow of an Olympic Gold Medalist

The 12th Century Chapel of Saint Marina on Mount Parnitha

Mount Parnitha is located about 25km northwest from the city of Athens and is the highest mountain in the vicinity of Athens. It extends in a large area, presenting variable topography with several summits, gorges, streams and plateaus. On the northern side of this mountain, behind the village of Avlona, in Vountima, near the river Martheza, in a densely forested area which reminds visitors of the beautiful landscapes of Mount Athos or Ireland, sits a 12th century chapel dedicated to Saint Marina.

The Icon of St. Marina With Her Relic

This icon of St. Marina belonged to the ever-memorable priest Fr. Nicholas A. Pettas. To the lower right of the icon is a small piece of relic of the Great-Martyr. The inscription describes its origin:

"The work of Hieromonk Gabriel Lambi. From the Holy Mountain, Skete of Saint Anna, 1938."

The Holy Elder Gabriel reposed in 1959, and was a well-known spiritual father, including that of Elder Anthimos of the Skete of Saint Anna. He was also the Confessor for the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople.

This icon today is kept in the Historic Home of Monk Papoulakos, which belongs to Archimandrite Nektarios Pettas.

The Church of Saint Marina in Thiseio

Saint Marina of Thiseio (Feast Day - July 17)

The inpressive Church of Saint Marina in Thiseio (or Thissio) is situated on the Hill of the Nymphs below the Observatory of Athens. The new church's foundations were laid in 1922 based on the architectural drawings of Achilleas Georgiadis, on the site of an older 19th century church.

In its present form, the church has a cruciform plan with a dome in the middle and four smaller domes on the corners. The interior was decorated by mural paintings during the 1930's, mostly by the painter Graikos and Kandris. This was also when the wooden screen was crafted, designed by the architect Georgios Nomikos. The mural paintings form a rare example of religious painting in Greece, influenced by the Jugendstil of Central Europe.

South-east of the church is a small Byzantine church carved into rock, next to the one the new church was built on. This small church was also dedicated to Saint Marina. It must have been built between the 11th and 12th century. Wall paintings dating back to the 17th and 19th century were found inside. Most of them were removed and placed on the northern part of the new church. The smaller church's side walls still have several 17th century mural paintings.

The location of the church had been associated with the religious practices related to childbirth and child health. Expectant mothers and those with sick babies would come here to pray for a safe labor and the cure of their children. Pregnant women actually used to crawl over a steep cliff in order to make their prayers for a safe labor come to fulfillment. The church holds a major festival on the feast of Saint Marina on July 17th.

Source

On 4 December 1966 the recently discovered holy skull of Saint Marina which was discovered in the Monastery of Saint George at Ilia of Edipsos in Halkida, was brought for the first time to the Church of Saint Marina in Thissio. To commemorate this event, a booklet on the life of Saint Marina was written which also contains pictures. It can be viewed here after downloading the pdf file towards the bottom.

Read also the following study: Pagan Cult to Christian Ritual: The Case of Agia Marina Theseiou

 

The old church at the end of the 19th cent.