By Elias Proufas
September 18, 2017
Many have been moved these past few days by a new miracle of the Panagia Gorgoepikoos (She Who is Quick to Hear) which concerns an 8 year old girl from Larisa. The incident happened last week at Panagia Theoskepastos Monastery in Sochos near Thessaloniki, which is a female dependency of the Holy Monastery of Docheiariou of Mount Athos.
Specifically, one week each year, and specifically on September 6th, the wonderworking icon of Panagia Gorgoepikoos is brought from Mount Athos to the monastery at Sochos where those who are not able to go to Docheiariou, especially women and young children, could venerate it. Thousands of people from Greece and Cyprus and other foreign countries go to the monastery and venerate the icon of the Panagia and to receive a blessing from the Abbot of the Athonite Monastery of Docheiariou, Elder Gregory.
This year, according to the testimony of Nun Thekla from the monastery in Sochos, a lady from Larisa came with her 8 year old daughter. While talking with the nuns she related with tears that her problem was with her young daughter who was mute and she hoped that with the help of the Panagia she would be able to speak again. "I had read of the young man from Skopje last December who spoke after eighteen years before the icon of the Panagia, and I wanted to ask her to make my child well."
The nuns recommended for her to go before the wonderworking icon, to kneel, and with faith to ask for the healing of her child. So simple for the nuns who have seen so many miracles take place at the monastery. Besides, the Abbot of the Holy Monastery of Docheiariou, who is the spiritual father of the monastery at Sochos, says the same thing to those who report their problem after he blesses them with the sign of the Honorable Cross: "Go to the icon of the Panagia and tell her your problem." So simple.
At the time when the mother and the girl venerated the wonderworking icon, after they were led into the church, the young girl looked at the Panagia and called out for the first time her name Raphaelia. Immediately everyone was stunned and the mother burst into sobs. The incident began to spread rapidly from mouth to mouth and became known from friends of the family and pilgrims from other parts of Greece.
The next day the mother and young girl went back to the monastery where the young girl went to Nun Thekla and kept on repeating her name. When we asked the nun if she only said this, she responded that she said everything very simply because she had not spoken till then words because she was confused by them. They returned again on the third day to the monastery and the mother could not stop sobbing.
A few days later the mother of the child sent a letter in her own writing in which she relates the miracle to the Abbot of the Holy Monastery of Docheiariou, Elder Gregory.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.