March 6, 2011
Amen.gr
A festive celebration took place today in the Byzantine Monastery of Agia Moni for the finding of the miraculously revealed icon of Christ. The festive vesperal service was officiated by the preacher of the Holy Metropolis of Argolida, Archimandrite Chrysostomos Papoulesis.
The Miraculous Icon of Jesus Christ At Agia Moni
The holy icon of our Lord Jesus Christ, lying in front of the left columns of the Church of the Life-Giving Spring (katholikon) at Agia Moni in Nafplio, was found on 6 March 1920 on a Friday at four in the afternoon, behind the sanctuary of the church, at a depth of 1.60 m in the soil, in a wondrous manner. After repeated visions and proofs by the Most-Holy Theotokos to the Greek-American lawyer Theodore Rogkopoulos, he came to Greece and arrived in Nafplio and Agia Moni accompanied continuously throughout the journey from the rail station in Athens to Nafplio and Agia Moni by a young man wearing a dress that was unknown to Rogkopoulos. The young man disappeared on their arrival at the Monastery and it was generally believed to be the Archangel Gabriel, as was promised by the Panagia in his sleep.
Agia Moni
It is 3 km from Nafplio. Founded in 1144 by Bishop Leo of Argos and Nafplio, today the Monastery has 10 nuns. The Katholikon of the Monastery is from the year 1149, and is a prototype of Byzantine architecture, as the French Byzantinist Charles Deal says, it is "the most beautiful of the second millennium". The architectural type of the church is a cross-in-square of the four columned type with dome. On the western entrance of the church is a marble slab, bearing the following inscription of dedication to the Virgin Mary by Bishop Leo:
Έπηξε βάθρα τω ναό Σου Παρθένε,
Λέων Αργείων αλιτρός θυηπόλος,
Ώπερ παράσχοις λύτρον αμπλακημάτων
Είς αντάμειψιν, ευλογημένη Κόρη.
For more photos and a virtual tour of Agia Moni, see here.
Translated by John Sanidopoulos