The Parish Priests of the Church of Saint Panteleimon in the Leper Colony of Spinalonga

When the decision of the Cretan government in 1903 to transfer the lepers of Crete to the island of Spinalonga became known, the then Bishop Titos of Petras renovated the Church of Saint Panteleimon that was located there and consecrated it, before the lepers even arrived. But when he wondered if he would find a priest, Father Manolis Psarakis, a parish priest in Neapolis, stood up and volunteered to serve the sick, which he did with zeal for 21 whole years. After the death of Papa-Manolis, he was successively and voluntarily succeeded by the very old Father Nestor, Father Nikandros, Father Nikodemos and Father Andronikos who served until 1935, all brothers of the Holy Monastery of Aretiou.

How Fr. Evangelos Halkidis Came to Possess the Hand of Saint Panteleimon

In the small chapel, in Fr. Evangelos' (1923-1987) house, were resting the relics of many saints that were fragrant, and the hand of Saint Panteleimon would release myrrh.

All of them had miraculously come into his possession.

One day, in the summer, with a lot of heat and little sleep, the father returned from a ministry duty to his house, in Thessaloniki where he lived at the time, and being tired he lay down on the couch with the window half open above him.

Saint Panteleimon and Elder Simon Arvanitis Help Remove a Car Stuck on a Mountain

The following testimony is recorded in the book of Monk Zosimas, disciple of Elder Simon Arvanitis, titled Hieromonk Simon Arvanitis (1901-1988), His Life and Works. Elder Simon was the founder and abbot of the Monastery of Saint Panteleimon in Penteli. This and many other stories like it shows the living presence of Saint Panteleimon at his Monastery.

One day I had gone to Father Zosimas, who was then living in the small Church of the Holy Evangelist Luke, behind the Monastery of Saint Panteleimon in Penteli.

On Sunday, when I was returning from the mountain, at a turn I saw an abandoned Toyota car. The driver, who was a shepherd, stopped me and begged me to help him; the car was stuck and it was impossible for the two of us to get it out.

Saint Panteleimon Delivers a Portion of his Relics to Elder Simon Arvanitis

The following testimony is recorded in the book of Monk Zosimas, disciple of Elder Simon Arvanitis, titled Hieromonk Simon Arvanitis (1901-1988), His Life and Works. Elder Simon was the founder and abbot of the Monastery of Saint Panteleimon in Penteli. This and many other stories like it shows the living presence of Saint Panteleimon at his Monastery.

At the consecration of the Church of Saint Panteleimon, Panteli came loaded with deliveries for it, as usual. 

As he went to turn where the iconostasis shrine is, a young man stopped him and gave him a box with Holy Relics. He said to Panteli:

"Give these to the Elder."

"Saint Panteleimon Knocked On My Window"

Monastery of Saint Panteleimon at Penteli

By Olympia Vakofaris

We often went to the Monastery of Saint Panteleimon [in Penteli, founded by the Elder Simon Arvanitis], because my husband was a builder and he helped every eight days in the construction of the Monastery; he could work one day and two or three, as needed.

Once when he was working there (I happened to be with him too), Elder Simon notified him to go next Saturday morning to work there.

But we forgot.

Saint Panteleimon and the Healing of the Soul (Archim. George Kapsanis)

By Archimandrite George Kapsanis

In the Apolytikion to the Holy Great Martyr Panteleimon, who we commemorate today, we ask the Saint to intercede to the Lord for the remission of our sins. One would expect that, from such a great physician as Saint Panteleimon, we would ask for the healing of physical illnesses, but the Church asks for the healing of illnesses of the soul, namely the passions, which are often the cause of physical illnesses, and are worse, because physical illnesses can also be good for people, good for their soul, to lead them to repentance, but the illnesses of the soul, the passions, lead to eternal death.

Holy Great Martyr Panteleimon: Epistle and Gospel Reading

Holy Great Martyr Panteleimon the Healer

July 26

Matins Gospel Reading

Gospel According to Luke 21:12-19

English

The Lord said to his disciples, "Beware of men who will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name's sake. This will be a time for you to bear testimony. Settle it therefore in your minds, not to meditate beforehand how to answer; for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict. You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and kinsmen and friends, and some of you they will put to death; you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your lives."

A Banker's Testimony of a Miracle from 1893 in Asia Minor

Adalia in the 1840's

The following letter was published in The Spectator on 27 May 1893, which describes a miracle that took place at the Church of Saint Panteleimon in Adalia (Attaleia or Antalya), Asia Minor on April 25th that year. The author and witness is A.G.M. Dickson, a well known banker of the time. Dickson was a scholar of Oxford University who spoke French, modern Greek, Italian and Turkish. He had worked for the Imperial Ottoman Bank in 1890-1898, had been Athens manager of the Ionian Bank in 1899-1904, before becoming the Alexandria-based Sub-Governor of the National Bank of Egypt. He had served in 1915 as Commissioner of Currency and Finance to the British invasion force in Turkey, and had a wide knowledge of the east Mediterranean and the Middle East. In 1917 he was appointed manager of the British Trade Corporation.

Saint Euboula, Mother of Saint Panteleimon

St. Euboula (Feast Day - March 30)

Verses

In heaven you are joined with your athlete child,
O mother of the athlete and beautiful child Euboula.

Saint Euboula lived during the reign of Emperor Maximian (286-305), and was from the city of Nicomedia. She was the wife of a Greek pagan named Eustorgios, while she was from a family of Christians. Saint Panteleimon was born to her, and she raised him to love God. She reposed in peace, and today her marble tomb is located in the Cave of the Magi under the Monastery of Saint Theodosios the Cenobiarch to the east of Bethlehem, along with the tombs of 35 other renowned Saints.

Icon of Saint Panteleimon Appears to Weep in Pella, Greece

According to reports and testimonials from the Church of Saint Panteleimon in Arseni of Pella in Greece, at 3:30 pm on July 27th, the eve of the feast of Saint Panteleimon, the icon of Saint Panteleimon began to manifest tears from both its eyes. These can be clearly seen in photos posted by those who attended the feast. Even the Mayor of the municipality of Skydros, Katerina Ignatiadou, made a relevant post about it on her social media page.

The Annual Miracle of the Blood of Saint Panteleimon in Ravello, Italy

Cathedral of Saint Pantaleon in Ravello, Italy

Following the martyrdom of Saint Panteleimon in 305, it is said blood mixed with milk flowed from his decapitated head, and this blood was collected by a pious lady of Nicomedia which she kept in her home. Apparently this blood displayed some unusual activity, since a tradition says merchants from Amalfi in Italy heard of it and journeyed to Nicomedia to obtain it. A portion of his blood however was treasured at Constantinople, brought from Nicomedia probably in the tenth century, where one year the blood would come to the surface and the next year the milk. Once during the reign of Emperor Michael Palaiologos (1259-1282), the blood came up and it turned out to be a year of battles. The blood that was taken by the merchants from Amalfi was brought to Ravello, 22 miles from Naples, where records from 1112 reveal that the blood was kept there in the Cathedral of Saint Pantaleon (in the West Saint Panteleimon is known as Saint Pantaleon).

"Saint Panteleimon Took the Hit" - St. Paisios the Athonite

St. Paisios the Athonite holding an icon of St. Panteleimon

- Elder, I'm sick. Say a prayer that I may become well.

 

- It will not be good for you for me to pray about this matter. If you are patient and have faith in God, then you will get a pension from "healthcare", which is bigger than the Agricultural Insurance Organization!

Once, a sick man entreated Saint Panteleimon to make him well. The Saint, however, did not do it. He insisted and continuously made entreaty. In the end, he cured him.

When he died and went to the other life, he saw that he lost many crowns due to his healing. He then said to Saint Panteleimon:

"Why did you make me well? You knew that I would lose crowns, which is why you should not have cured me."

So, Saint Panteleimon took the hit!

From Μαρτυρίες Προσκυνητών, Γέροντας Παΐσιος ο Αγιορείτης, Τόμος Β’, σελ. 113. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.

Church of Saint Panteleimon at Acharnanon in Athens: The Fascinating History Behind One of the Largest Orthodox Churches in the World

The Church of Saint Panteleimon at Acharnanon is a Greek Orthodox basilica in the center of Athens on Acharnon Avenue. It is the largest church in Athens, the third largest in Greece, and the eighth largest Orthodox church in the world, with a capacity of 10,000 people. The dome is only two meters smaller than the dome of Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, occupying an area of 1600 m. The thickness of the masonry of the temple reaches two meters.

Church of Saint Panteleimon in Thessaloniki

The Church of Saint Panteleimon is a late Byzantine church in Thessaloniki, Greece, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The church lies in the eastern part of the old city, near the Tomb of Galerius (the "Rotunda"), at the junction of Iasonidou and Arrianou streets. Its current dedication to Saint Panteleimon was given to the church after the end of Ottoman rule in 1912, and its original dedication is therefore disputed. It is speculated that the name of Saint Panteleimon was borrowed from the northern chapel dedicated to the Saint of the neighboring Church of Panagouda, in which the vessels of the church were transferred when it was converted into a mosque by the Turks.

Holy Hieromartyrs Hermolaos, Hermippos and Hermokrates of Nicomedia

Sts. Hermolaos, Hermippos and Hermokrates (Feast Day - July 26)

Verses

Hermippos, Hermolaos and Hermokrates,
You boldly shamed those who revered Hermes.
On the twenty-sixth Hermolaos was beheaded.

+ + +

The beginning of the names of these Martyrs,
Indicates their common end by the sword.
On the twenty-sixth Hermolaos was cut at the neck by a sword.

When St. Panteleimon Appeared to St. Paisios the Athonite (The Athonite Skete of Saint Panteleimon)

Silver-covered Icon of St. Panteleimon at the Koutloumousion Skete of Saint Panteleimon (right)

In 1979, Elder Paisios moved from the Hermitage of the Honorable Cross to the Panagouda Cell of Koutloumousiou. It was June 3rd, and the Elder, because of the move, had not yet unpacked his liturgical books and did not know exactly the date or the celebrating saint. He performed the services with the prayer rope, and when he began to pray to the Saint of the day, his mind was busy trying to remember who the Saint was.

The Cypriot Monastery of Saint Panteleimon in Turkish Occupied Myrtou

The village of Myrtou in the province of Kyrenia is located 28 km southwest of the town of Kyrenia. The village was famous for the Monastery of Saint Panteleimon the Healer where every year on the 27th of July, it was visited by thousands of pilgrims from every corner of Cyprus. Until 1917 the Monastery was the seat of the Bishop of Kyrenia.

Synaxarion of Saint Panteleimon the Great Martyr and Unmercenary

On the twenty-seventh of this month [July], we commemorate the Holy Glorious Great Martyr and Healer Panteleimon.

Verses

Milk mixed with blood came from your skull, O Martyr,

For whom Christ shed the mixture with water.

On the twenty-seventh Panteleimon obtained his portion by the sword.

This Saint lived during the reign of Emperor Maximian (286-305), and was from the city of Nicomedia. He was the son of a Greek pagan named Eustorgius, while his mother came from a family of Christians, and her name was Euboula. He went on to learn the art of medicine for the body, from someone named Euphrosynos, who had great fame and glory, and appears to have reached the pinnacle of medicine. Meanwhile he learned the medicine of the soul according to Christ from Saint Hermolaos, a Priest of the Church in Nicomedia, and is commemorated on the twenty-sixth of this month. Through this medicine according to Christ, the Saint raised a child, who was bit by a viper and fell dead, merely by the Saint calling upon the name of Christ. He had been baptized by the aforementioned Saint Hermolaos, and was led by him to faith in Christ.

Saint Alban, First Martyr of Britain

Below is Venerable Bede's account from The Ecclesiastical History of the English People (1. 7) of the Martyrdom of Alban, probably under the Diocletian persecutions in the year 304. Alban was the first British Christian martyr.

By Saint Bede the Venerable

During this persecution, one of the most illustrious of those who suffered death for the faith, was Saint Alban, of whom the Priest Fortunatus, in the book which he wrote in commendation of Virgins, speaking of the great number of martyrs who were sent to heaven by it from every part of the world, says,

Albanum egregium fæcunda Britannia profert.

(Fruitful Britain holy Alban yields.)

He was yet a Pagan, when the cruel Emperors first published their edicts against the Christians, and when he received a clergyman fleeing from his persecutors into his house as an asylum. Having observed that his guest spent whole days and nights in continual praying and watching, he felt himself on a sudden inspired by the grace of God, and began to emulate so glorious an example of faith and piety, and being leisurely instructed by his wholesome admonitions, casting off the darkness of idolatry, he became a Christian in all sincerity of heart.

Saint Panteleimon and our Spiritual Health

1. Today, my Christian brethren, our Holy Church celebrates the memory of the great martyr Saint Panteleimon, the healer. It would take a lot of time to speak of the entire life and brilliant miracles of this Saint. I will only tell you a few things, as much as anyone can say in a short sermon.

Saint Panteleimon, my beloved, is identified as a physician. We have saints from every profession of human life: from teachers and judges and cooks and gardeners, no honorable occupation prevents a person from being sanctified. And so our Saint, Holy Panteleimon, was a physician. We have a command within Holy Scripure that specifically says we should honor physicians, because God enlightens physicians to find the medicines of the earth for the sick to be healed. Sirach says: "Honor a physician with the honor due unto him for the uses which you may have of him, for the Lord has created him. For of the Most High comes healing, and he shall receive the honor of the king. The skill of the physician shall lift up his head, and in the sight of great men he shall be in admiration. The Lord has created medicines out of the earth; and he that is wise will not abhor them" (38:1-4). With medical wisdom, therefore, and especially the enlightenment of God, Saint Panteleimon healed many sick people, who could not be treated by other physicians. But what should make a strong impression on us is that the physician Panteleimon practiced his profession without asking for payment or reward. He was an Unmercenary. He would seek out sick people, especially those who were poor, in order to offer treatment free of charge. What great love, what great mercy! And although his first name was Panteleon, later, due to his great love and mercy, they called him Panteleimon, which means "all-merciful".