St. Paraskevi the Virgin-Martyr (Feast Day - July 26)"Today Is My Feast"
This event occurred on a recent 26th of July in Koropi, Athens. The family described this event as follows:
In Koropi, there was a married couple where the husband was very religious and the wife was a non-believer and mocker of the faith.
The husband had great respect and devoutness for St Paraskevi. And always, on the day before we celebrate her memory, he lit a candle at his house. His wife would never light it herself.
So the next day, he got up very early in the morning, washed and dressed up as quietly as he could so he wouldn't disturb his sleeping wife and mother in law, locked the door (twice) and left to go to church.
When he got back from church he found the two women very scared and in great panic.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
They told him: "As you left this morning, a little later we heard someone unlocking our door. Two times we heard the sound of the door unlocking..klak..klak... We froze!!! Then a woman entered our house with black clothes, tall, very beautiful, and appeared in front of us, looking at us without saying a word. She then went into the room where the candle was. She goes there, takes the candle and goes into the kitchen, adds oil, and lit it. Then she takes the candle and puts it back into the room. She comes back to us, she looks at us and says, 'Today is my feast', and she left the house!!"
The women were in shock, but the man was touched by this miracle of St. Paraskevi to his wife, who was a non-believer and mocker of the faith.
The Holy Monastery of Saint Paraskevi in Milochori
Mouriki (Μουρίκι) is a municipality in the Kozani Prefecture, Greece. Milochori, or Milochorion (Μηλοχωρίου), is a mountain village (alt. c. 680 m) of Mouriki. In the past it was known as Lygka. Milochorion according to one source is named after the watermills (Milos) in the region, or the apples (gr. Milo) which are produced in the region. In this mountain village stands a monastery dedicated to Saint Paraskevi which was built in 1967 at the initiative of Metropolitan Augoustinos Kantiotis of Florina and dedicated in 1969. This monastery was built over a former dilapidated ancient church. There are presently three monks there.
In 1932 a pious woman from Foufas named Chrysa Kypti had a son named Tryphon who was blind. She was told that there was a spring of Holy Water nearby, though did not know its origins or the saint associated with it. Upon receiving some Holy Water from the friend who told her about it, she had her son wash his face with it. When he did, the son received his sight back. That night Chrysa saw St. Paraskevi in her sleep, who pointed out to her where she was buried and asked her to dig her out. After telling the villagers, they did not believe her. St. Paraskevi appeared again in her sleep and told her to seek the help of the residents of Milochori. The president of the village responded and helped her dig at the place indicated with other villagers: "Among the brambles where a rose bush is." There they discovered the foundations of an old church, a roofing tile, the icon of St. Paraskevi and some Roman coins. The findings confirmed the word of St. Paraskevi that this was an ancient church. Under the order of the bishop of Ptolemaida, a small church had been built. Chrysa Kypti stayed next to the church in cells that had been constructed until April of 1959, when she died on Good Friday.
Below is a video in Greek about the history of this monastery and the miracle of its founding, together with video of the monastery itself.
A Contemporary Miracle of Saint Paraskevi Healing An Eye Ailment
The following account comes from a woman named Georgia Notis from Corinth:
From the age of two I suffered from a severe form of being cross-eyed, and according to the doctors who examined me in Athens and Corinth, I had to wear glasses for the rest of my life. It became customary for my parents to bring me every year, on the eve of the feast of St. Paraskevi, to a small chapel of St. Paraskevi which is found in Ancient Corinth. It was there, from the age of three, that I would make this small but serious prayer: "My St. Paraskevi, make my eyes well." I would light my candle and I had much hope in her.
At the age of eight, St. Paraskevi eventually worked her miracle outside her small chapel. A thought came into my head, like lightning, that urged me to remove my glasses and I was assured that I would not need them again. I removed my glasses and believed that I truly did not have the slightest problem. I could see very well, and I didn't have the slightest problem of being cross-eyed. I gave the glasses to my mother and told her I will never wear them again. Initially my parents believed I was displaying child-like enthusiasm, but over the next few days they believed in the truth of the miracle.
Today I am a mature woman with excellent vision. I never ceased to visit that chapel every year to thank St. Paraskevi for her miraculous intervention, and for hearing my humble child-like prayer. The Saints are always near us. It is enough to invoke them with faith, and they are ready to rush to our aid.
The Chapel of Saint Paraskevi in Nafplion
In Karathona of Nafplion there is a small chapel dedicated to St. Paraskevi. This chapel was built in 1693 by Hieromonk Gerasimos Rethymnioti above the ruins of an older chapel. In the 1920's there were Greek soldiers in the area. One of the soldiers became extremely ill from an infection. Being faithful, he prayed to God to make him well. In a vision he saw a female Saint who told him that he will get well. Indeed, what he was told came true.
When his sickness passed the soldier got up and went to the small chapel of St. Paraskevi and recognized the saint he saw was her. Upon his return to Athens, where he was from, he had an icon painted of St. Paraskevi, but withheld bringing it back to her chapel.
While in Athens the soldier had another visit from St. Paraskevi who told him to take his icon that he had painted and bring it to her chapel. He did this immediately.
Today this chapel is owned by the Argyropoulou family and on the feast of St. Paraskevi hundreds come from all over to celebrate.
Going To Greet Saint Paraskevi At Petraki Monastery
Petraki Monastery in Athens has the great blessing to treasure the holy myrrh-gushing skull of St. Paraskevi. Every Friday a Supplication Service is done to St. Paraskevi and her relics are displayed for veneration, and from 1962 an All-Night Vigil is conducted on the feast day of St. Paraskevi. It was on that night that a pious wife of a professor of the University of Athens saw in her sleep St. Paraskevi, who said: "Come tomorrow behind the Evangelismos Hospital to greet me."
Because the dream made quite an impression on her, she told her husband the next day the following: "I'm going by Evangelismo to St. Paraskevi, to venerate her, because I saw her last night in my dream."
"Are you crazy?" responded her husband. "I don't know of any St. Paraskevi there. You aren't going anywhere. We are going to the beach, for a swim."
They both got in their car and headed for the beach, first picking up a friend of theirs who was a journalist. As they were going down Siggrou Street, they passed the Church of St. Haralambos. The woman did her cross and asked the journalist if he knew of a church of St. Paraskevi nearby to go and light a candle.
"Oh brother", said her husband, "this woman is driving me crazy with her religiosity. From this morning she has been telling me she wants to go behind Evangelismo to St. Paraskevi, but I know there is no St. Paraskevi there."
"Ah, stop here", said the journalist. "The lady has a point, for behind Evangelismo is the Monastery of Petraki in which is kept the skull of St. Paraskevi. Furthermore, tonight is her All-Night Vigil. I read it in the newspaper."
Upon hearing this, they forsook going to the beach and all returned to go to the Monastery of Petraki to venerate St. Paraskevi's holy skull.
Elder Ephraim Katounakiotis Relates A Miracle of Saint Paraskevi
In 1979 Elder Ephraim Katounakiotis related the following miracle of St. Paraskevi:
Five years ago a blind man went to Koutloumousiou Monastery to venerate the skull of St. Paraskevi [part of her skull is at this monastery, and part of it is at Petraki Monastery in Athens]. She gave off an aroma and the blind man immediately could see and he hung up his glasses there.
Petraki MonasteryA Roman Catholic Receives Her Sight From Saint Paraskevi
The following is written by the abbot of the Holy Monastery of Petraki:
In 1946 I wrote a piece for the newspaper "Orthodoxos Typos" regarding St. Paraskevi. A subscriber in Piraeus read the piece, and as soon as he finished he received a letter from Germany. It was from a German-American, a Papist and not Orthodox. She was very fond of Orthodoxy however. She would even help them out financially for various projects. This woman had lost her sight and travelled to Germany, either because her daughter lived there or because there they had better doctors. But there was no healing and she totally lost her sight.
In her letter she wrote the following: "I learned that there in Greece there is a Saint who heals eyes. Write to me a little about her." He responded: "Truly she does exist. It is St. Paraskevi. In fact, I was reading about her in a newspaper, and as soon as I finished the piece I received your letter... This St. Paraskevi's holy head is kept at the Holy Monastery of Petraki. I am friends with the abbot there. His address is the following...."
A few days later I received a letter from her asking that I pray before the holy skull on her behalf, that St. Paraskevi give her back her sight. Indeed, the prayer was done. I sent her also a small icon of St. Paraskevi which we later learned she placed above her bed.
It took a while to receive a response from her however. And when she did after two months, she wrote the following: "Your Holiness, I received the small icon of St. Paraskevi successfully. Words cannot describe my gratitude, not only for your kindness in sending me the icon, but also for your prayers to receive my sight. My status is much better, though I still cannot see perfectly well. Since I am unworthy of such a precious gift, I ask you to continue praying for me... Your sister, Edith H. Moore."
This woman received her sight. She returned to the USA and we write each other, and she is able to write with her own hand. She is thinking of coming to Athens to be baptized Orthodox.
Apolytikion in the First Tone
Appropriate to your calling, O Champion Paraskevi, you worshipped with the readiness your name bears. For an abode you obtained faith, which is your namesake. Wherefore, you pour forth healing and intercede for our souls.
Kontakion in the Plagal of the Fourth Tone
O most majestic One, we have discovered your temple to be a spiritual clinic wherein all the faithful resoundingly honor you, O famed and venerable martyr Paraskevi.
