Agion Oros - Mount Athos

To all my readers. May the light of the Resurrected Lord shine bright in all of your hearts and give your souls a resurrection and a new beginning. I hope you all had a blessed Pascha. In Christ, George

The miraculous Icon of Panagia Vimatarissa or Ktitorissa is the premier Icon of the Holy Monastery of Vatopediou. It is placed at the central chair of the Holy Altar inside the main church (Katholicon) of the Monastery. According to tradition, Arcadius, the young son of Theodosios the Great, Emperor of Rome, was involved in a ship wreck. He washed to shore and ended up under a bush under miraculous circumstances. He found this Icon under this bush. This site later became the site of the Monastery of Vatopediou and hence the name of the Monastery - The greek word for bush is Vatos and the Greek word for child is Pedi, Vato Pedi or Greek - Βατοπαιδιου. The Icon was placed in the Holy Altar of the Monastery when the Monastery was built. The Icon also receives the name Ktitorissa (the establisher) from this miracle. The best known miracle of this Holy Icon is as follows. When Arab pirates decided to loot the Monastery (as was common practice in the 10th century), the Hierodeacon Savvas was...

The below text gives us a brief account of St. John Koukouzelis's life and why the Icon of The Theotokos, has the name Koukouzelissa.  Panagia Koukouzelissa is a miraculous Icon, which is located at the Holy Monastery of Great Lavra, the oldest and first in hierarchial order of all Monasteries on Mount Athos.  Its name comes from Saint John Koukouzelis, the renowned chanter of the Holy Monastery of Great Lavra. The young John was born in 12 th century in Dirrachio and his father passed away when he was very young. John and his pious mother lived in poverty, eating broad beans and peas almost on a daily basis. This is where John receives his nickname “Koukouzelis”. Broad beans in Greek is “koukia” and peas is “bizelia.” A synthesis of the two words: Koukouzelis. When John came of age he went to Constantinople and enrolled himself into the Imperial Academy. Thanks to his beautiful voice, the Emperor Komninos soon noticed him. Not much time passed and he was made th...

Dear Readers, In the month of April, I will commence making posts on the origins of the Miraculous Icons of Mount Athos in the order of the Monasteries. Some of the stories are not really known well outside of Athos, and for some, this will be the first time the full stories will be written in English. I hope you all enjoy, and I wish you all a Blessed Easter. In Christ, George Fangos

The tears of Panagia: I was at Mount Athos in order to purchase handmade items from the Monks. The handmade objects I am referring to are items which the monks make for example, incense, prayer ropes and other items which they sell or exchange in order to get by. I was told in Karyes, the capital of Mount Athos, that I would find the “Tears of Panagia” and small portable Icons made from bees wax in Kapsala (a remote area of Mount Athos, near Karyes). They showed me a cell on a local map where I could purchase “Tears of Panagia”.          Tears of Panagia are prayer ropes (Komposchini) or if you like worry beads (kompologion) made from the fruits of a certain plant which is called the tear of Panagia. Gerasimos Smyrnakis, in his book titled Mount Athos, which was published in 1903, writes the following: “The tears are harvested from the fruits of a bamboo like plant from the months of July until October. The fruit is...

At The capital of Mount Athos, Karyes, the historical cell of St. John The Forerunner of Koutloumouiou Monastery can be found. This cell was built by the great teacher of Orthodox Iconography, Hieromonk Dionysios of Fourna (1670 – 1746). The Hieromonk Dionysios was born in the town of Fourna in Euritania Greece. He was born in the year 1670, his father was the Priest Panayiotis Chalkias. When his father died, the young Dionysios was forced to leave for Constantinople at the ages of 12 years, for work. He stayed in the city for 4 years and at the age of 16 he departed Constantinople for Mount Athos. In Karyes, he completed his schooling and was taught Byzantine Iconography. He was also tonsured a monk and then a Hieromonk in Karyes. In the year 1711, he began building his Cell in Karyes and the chapel, which he dedicated to St. John the Forerunner, he also did all of the Iconography for the chapel, including all of the frescoes and movable Icons. From 1724 to 1728, Dionysios returned t...

His Grace, Bishop Chrysostomos of Rodostolou, is the most modest bishop I have met. I first met his Grace when I was a student at Athonias Ecclesiastical Academy at Mount Athos. I was then a first year student and his Grace had retired as principal of the academy, however, always stayed at the Academy when visiting Karyes.  He was always polite, humble and modest, never wore an engolpion unless it was a formal ceremony and was always quiet, yet stern and strict when it came to our behaviour and church acumen. He is much loved on all of Mount Athos and currently resides at the Holy Monastery of Great Lavra. He is also the Ecumenical Patriarch's representative on the Holy Mountain.  His Grace (worldly name: Panagiotis Anagnostopoulos of Nicholas and Stavroula) was born in Serres Greece in 1933. In 1950 he came to Mount Athos and was tonsured a monk. After his graduation from Athonias Ecclesiastical Academy, he served as the secretary of the Holy Community of Mount Athos. He ...