How the Panagia Eikonistria Saved Skiathos and Her Church From the Destruction of the Nazis

The Icon of Panagia Eikonistria

The following excerpt is from a homily delivered by the Theologian, Iconographer and Professor of Byzantine Music, Konstantinos Koutoumbas, on August 23, 2009, on the anniversary of the saving of the city of Skiathos from being destroyed by the Nazi German army.

 

But even in the difficult years of the occupation, when the Italians were succeeded by the German conquerors, who victoriously marched into the Greek lands, the Most Holy Theotokos, the helper and protector of those who call upon her, did not abandon her faithful people, just as she did not abandon her humble island. The olive oil was abundant, the fruit trees were choked with their fruits with their branches leaning to the ground, the harvests were rich in those years. What the evil conqueror deprived the people of God, was abundantly provided by the nourisher of life, the Panagia Eikonistria.

However, on the morning of August 23, 1944, Skiathos was about to experience a nightmare. It was preceded, a few days before, by the arrest of the German commander of the Northern Sporades, Adler, from the 54th regiment of ELAS Pelion, following the order of the EAM Volos, which confirmed the fears of the local EAM Skiathos committee of retaliation by the Germans.

Panagia Prousiotissa Resource Page

Synaxis of the Panagia Prousiotissa (August 23)

History of Panagia Prousiotissa

 

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

 

The Great Miracle of Panagia Prousiotissa on October 25, 1918

 

Testimony of a Miracle of the Panagia Prousiotissa During the Spanish Flu Pandemic of 1918

 

Two Miracles of the Panagia Prousiotissa - "The German Officer Who Was Punished" and "The Unknown 'Nun'"

Panagia Prousiotissa and the Lamp That Has Burned for 1200 Years

 

The Woman Who Was Demon Possessed in a Greek Village for Eight Years  

 

The Baby Who Was Tossed Into the Trash: Testimony of a Miracle Associated With Panagia Prousiotissa

Three Cave Churches of Mount Oeta

 

 

Saint Christopher of Trebizond, Founder of the Monastery of Panagia Soumela

Our Venerable Father Christopher was born in the village Gazaree of Trebizond (today Trabzon) in the region of Pontus. He was a farmer. Once while Christopher was cultivating his land with a pair of oxen, the Panagia appeared to him. She said to him, "O child, Christopher, rise speedily and stand on your feet." Christopher fell to the ground upon hearing the voice. The Panagia then took him by the hand and helped him up. She continued by saying, "Understand what I shall tell you O Christopher. You are a Christian who confesses Christ and His Mother."

Christopher replied to her by saying, "Yes, my Lady, I confess and adore Christ and you O Lady Theotokos." The Panagia then said to Christopher, "I desire that you leave the farm life and become mine. You are to go to Mount Mela. Once there, you will renew and revive my imperial home. Therefore leave the oxen and plow in the field. Show yourself before the bishop and reveal to him all that I have told you and say to him that he is to ordain you to the priesthood." When Christopher heard this he said to the Panagia, "How can this be. Not only am I unworthy to become a priest but I also am illiterate?" The Theotokos replied, "Obey and do not contradict my will. Do as I command you to do, and as to being illiterate, I shall provide." Immediately then the Panagia vanished.

The Miracle with the Lilies of the Panagia Gravalliotissa in Pastra, Kefallonia

Near the southeastern villages of Demoutsanata and Pastra on the island of Kefallonia, there is a strange phenomenon in the village church that takes place annually.

In the courtyard of the Church of the Dormition, there are various flower beds, where the women of the village plant parthenocrine bulbs (Virgin's Lily). This is done on March 25th, which is the Feast of the Annunciation.

When the Feast of the Ascension comes around in May or June, the lilies begin to bloom, so they are cut and placed in bouquets in front of the holy and miraculous icon of the Panagia Gravalliotissa. In a few days the lilies dry up, according to the laws of nature.

The Snakes of the Panagia Have Made Their Appearance in Kefallonia (2022)

Just as every year, from the feast of the Transfiguration of Christ till the feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos, or from August 6th to the 15th, snakes appear in a wondrous manner in two villages of Kefallonia with chapels dedicated to the Dormition of the Theotokos, in Markopoulo and Arginia, that appear to worship among the pilgrims who flock to these chapels, and venerate of their own accord the icon of the Panagia. Many noted miracles are associated with these snakes.

The Miraculous History of the Chapel of the Life-Giving Spring in the Village of Garefi

The following written testimony comes to us from the good shepherd Binos Traianos, as handed down to us from his grandson Andrew Binos. It is regarding a divine visitation in the middle of the 20th century to the good shepherd from the village of Garefi in the prefecture of Pella, which led to the construction of a chapel and a local annual celebration on Bright Friday.

Since then, every year on the feast of the Life-Giving Spring, at the spot of the first vision, on the mountain of Garefi at the fountain of Koupriva, a big festival takes place in honor of the Panagia, headed by the family of Binos Traianos and attended by crowds not only from the village, but from neighboring communities as well.

Agionisi - A Holy Island Off the Coast of Igoumenitsa With the Ruins of the Monastery of the Life-Giving Spring

Surrounded by the sea is a dot of land immersed in trees and vegetation. This island is known as Agionisi (Holy Island), which is off the coast of Igoumenitsa, a coastal city in northwestern Greece.

There, in the old days, it is unknown when, there was a whole monastic complex, but now only the Church of the Life-Giving Spring (Zoodochos Pege) is there and some stone ruins, testifying to the presence of a habitation which left its traces and was not completely lost.

Outrage Over Blasphemous Use of the Monastery of Panagia Soumela in Trebizond

Outrage has spread throughout the Orthodox Christian world over the blasphemous use of the Monastery of Panagia Soumela in Matsouka of Pontus, after a video clip has emerged showing the filming of an advertisement with foreign actors and a dj depicting a disco party on its sacred grounds, at the very spot the Divine Liturgy takes places on August 15th, even making use of the bell of the monastery in an inappropriate manner.

The images are an insult to Orthodox Christians everywhere, but also to believers of any religion in general, since no one would want such a sacred space used in this way, especially a sacred space that was forced to be abandoned by the local government in the 1920's due to racial and religious discrimination and has only recently been allowed to function again at certain times and with permission as it was meant to be.

Synaxis of Panagia Smyrniotissa in Nemea

This icon was brought by a soldier from Smyrna in 1920 to Nemea in the Peloponnese. A woman, Katsiabouraina, kept it in a hut that looked like a chapel in the yard of her house. Many would go there and pray, and because it had the grace to work miracles, the faithful would bring offerings. The icon would either be brought to those who were sick or when someone sick was about to pass away, and when this took place the icon would become heavier than normal. Eventually it was dedicated to the Church of the Evangelistria in Nemea where it is majestically celebrated together with the Panagia Myrtidiotissa on September 24th every year.

 

The Veneration of the Panagia Myrtidiotissa on the Island of Kythera

Kythera, an island between the Peloponnese and Crete, is famous for its spiritual heritage. There are shrines in sheltered places, small chapels in caves and picturesque churches that reveal the religious tradition of the locals. The relationship of the locals with the Panagia, who has been protecting the island and its inhabitants as a guardian for centuries, also played an important role in this.

The miraculous icon of Panagia Myrtidiotissa is kept in the Monastery of Myrtidia in Kythera, and is the most important treasure of the island.

The Monastery of Panagia Tourliani in Mykonos

According to tradition, the Monastery of Panagia Tourliani was built by fugitive monks from Paros who sought asylum on the island of Mykonos in 1542 AD. The monks took refuge in the upper part of the island, in the small church dedicated to the Entrance of the Theotokos, where the nun Tourli served. The place of their settlement thus became known as Ano Mera.

Also according to tradition, the miraculous icon of the Panagia was found floating on the beach of the island, near the bay of Tourlos (hence the name Tourliani) on the west side of the island, a few kilometers north of Chora in Mykonos and is considered the work of the Evangelist Luke. What has been observed with the icon is that woodworms do not attach to it because it is painted on a plate of chewed wax and mastic from Chios, a mixture invulnerable to insects.

The Panagia Loves the Beauty of Her Monasteries

Kernitsa Monastery in Vytina

By Father Dionysios Tampakis

There was once a pious farmer near Vytina* who wanted to cut wood for the coming winter. So he went to the Abbess of the Holy Monastery in Kernitsa** and asked her if he had a blessing to cut some wood from the area of ​​the Monastery.

She gave him permission immediately, seeing how poor he was.

That night, however, when the poor farmer had fallen asleep, he saw in full glory the Panagia with unspeakable beauty, giving him the following order:

Consecration of the Church of the Theotokos Eleousa in Constantinople

Pantocrator Monastery in Istanbul. From left to right, one can see the apses of the Church of Christ Pantocrator, the Imperial Chapel and the Church of the Theotokos Eleousa.

On this day, the 11th day of August, we celebrate the Consecration of the revered and most-beautiful house and divine Temple of our Most Holy Lady the Theotokos Eleousa.

We have no other specific information about this church. It may perhaps refer to the northern church of the Monastery of the Pantocrator (currently the Zeyrek Mosque). Between 1118 and 1124 the Roman Empress Irene of Hungary built a monastery dedicated to Christ Pantocrator. The monastery consisted of a main church (katholikon) also dedicated to Christ Pantocrator, a library and a hospital. After the death of his wife, shortly after 1124, Emperor John II Komnenos built another church to the north of the first dedicated to the Theotokos Eleousa ("the merciful Mother of God"). This church was open to the population and served by a lay clergy.

Synaxis of the Tolga Icon of the Mother of God

Synaxis of the Tolga Icon of the Mother of God (Feast Day - August 8)

The Tolga Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos appeared on August 8, 1314 to Bishop Prochorus of Rostov (Tryphon in schema). Going about his diocese, the Saint visited the environs of White Lake and from there traveled along the banks of the Rivers Sheksna and Volga, to Yaroslavl. He stopped with the approach of night seven versts distant from Yaroslavl, at the right bank of the Volga River where there flows opposite into it the River Tolga.

The Panagia Guides Two Lost Women in Tinos in 1971

Styliani Marabotou, a resident of Tinos, was standing at the door of her house on the eve of the feast of the Dormition of the Theotokos, on the 14th of August 1971. The island was flooded with people and accommodation for pilgrims no longer existed. Two women with a small child came up to her and asked for a room, just to put the child to sleep for a while. She replied that she had no room, but told them to "come and rest where we will be."

Consecration of the Temple of our Most Holy Lady the Theotokos at the Diakonissa

Floorplan of the Beyazit Churches A, B, C

On July 28th the Orthodox Church commemorates the Consecration of the Temple of our Most Holy Lady the Theotokos at the Diakonissa. Diakonissi, or Diakonissa, was a district of Constantinople, within the city walls, west of the Beyazit Gate. Saint Olympia the Deaconess had hermitages built in this area, which were consumed by fire in 465, and again in 533 during the Nika Riots. These hermitages housed the one hundred Deaconesses that served in the Great Church. Patriarch Kyriakos II, around the year 598/99, built the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos in Diakonissi, for his sister, who lived in this area as a Deaconess of the Great Church. Because of its association with Deaconesses, the district received its name. In the eleventh century it is also reported that the Theotokos Church had an elementary school. The Church of the Theotokos is likely today the ruins of Church B of the Beyazit Churches. Their ruins are currently located under some of the buildings of Istanbul University.

Fragment of the piscina of Church B

Synaxarion of our Venerable Fathers Niketas, John and Joseph, Founders of Nea Moni in Chios

On this day (May 20th) we commemorate our three Venerable and God-bearing Fathers Niketas, John and Joseph, the founders of the Sacred and Royal Nea Moni in Chios.

Verses

The three Venerables now stand,
Together with the noetic beings before the Holy Trinity.

These Venerable Fathers were from the renowned island of Chios, when Michael the Paphlagonian (1034-1041) and Michael Kalaphates (1041-1042) reigned, and even during the reign of Constantine Monomachos (1042-1055). Having forsaken the world and the pleasures of the world, the blessed ones ascended the mountain on Chios called Provateion, where they found and entered into a cave, and occupied themselves with every form of asceticism according to the monastic conduct, eating only bread and drinking simple water once a week.

Commemoration of the Consecration of the Church of Panagia Pantanassa on the Island of Hagia Glykeria

On this day (May 13th) we commemorate the consecration of the revered and divine Church of our Most Holy Lady the Theotokos of Pantanassa on the Island of Hagia Glykeria.

The tiny island of Hagia Glykeria is located in the Sea of Marmara and is today known as Incir Adasi, though most refer to it as Koc Adasi, because it is owned by the Turkish businessman Rahmi Koc and is his own private island. It is a few hundred meters off the coast of Tuzla in Istanbul. Today the only Byzantine structure on the island are the well-preserved remains of the Church of Panagia Pantanassa, which at one time was part of a larger monastery complex. No systematic survey or study has been carried out on the building.

The Miraculous Discovery of the Zoodochos Pege Icon in Larissa in 1877

Until the end of the Turkish occupation, the residents of the Tampakika district of Larissa would attend church at the Metropolitan Church of Saint Achilleos. In 1877, a chapel was built dedicated to the Panagia Phaneromeni in the central part of the district, where there was an old cemetery. That same year, a nun named Theophania, who worked without being payed in this small chapel, settled nearby in a small cell, living an ascetic life. The Lord, seeing the purity of her soul, revealed to her in a dream where a well with a pulley was located, inside which on the bottom was an old icon of the Panagia. Another night she saw the Panagia in a dream leading her to the well with a pulley and showing her that deep inside the well was her icon.

The Early Christian Veneration of the Mother of God in Rome

By Prof. Constantine P. Haralambidis

Aristotelian University of Thessaloniki

The Third Ecumenical Synod in Ephesus of 431 marked a memorable milestone in the history of paying honor through adoration to the Theotokos. With the condemnation of Nestorius and the dogmatic proclamation of the Virgin Mary as the Theotokos, we can say a new wave began of God's people honoring through adoration and artistic manifestations the mother of the second person of the Holy Trinity.