Nun Sophia Tsatsarounou worked as a pediatrician in various missions around the world and devoted her whole life to the love of fellow human beings and ministry. Despite being bedridden because of a rare musculoskeletal disease, she did not cease to glorify God and teach love without words. She viewed the suffering of her life as her own Via Dolorosa, carrying her own personal cross. Those who knew her called her Sophoula and felt the imprint she left on their hearts. Even while bedridden, she prayed for the whole world. Her love knew no boundaries, that's why everyone loved her deeply. Like a martyr herself, she departed on the Feast of the Holy Forty Martyrs of Sebaste in 2021.
Below is the first of her own two personal testimonies of the Holy Light in Jerusalem:
1. We were in front of the Holy Sepulchre when the Patriarch entered the Holy Sepulchre. The church was dark and the eyes of all were fixed on the Fathers of the Holy Tomb, who anxiously and with longing waited for the Patriarch to emerge with the Holy Light. A few minutes before the Patriarch emerged, however, I saw the lamps self-ignite, and a few meters from me there were some ladies whose candles suddenly lit by themselves. I did not manage to turn my head on time to see that on my left - O the miracle! - the candles of those who were next to me also lit by themselves. The people cried with joy and I cried because I was invited to celebrate my Christ. When I lit my 33 candles I put the flame to my face and it did not burn. Furthermore, the texture of the flame was soft. I felt the spark of God on my face and from my joy I moved the candles all over my face. No burns and no burning. The Russians did the same. We were all excited.
The second experience of Nun Sophia took place in 2005:
2. From very early in the morning we had all gathered outside Saint Constantine's in the hope of entering the Church of the Resurrection. Thousands of pilgrims from all over the world waited for a nod from the Israeli police to go beyond the railings. The wait is long and exhausting. I thought about entering Saint Constantine's just in case I would not be able to enter the Church of the Resurrection. There was a crowd there too but I managed to find a corner near the Sanctuary. The hours passed and at 12:30 the Patriarch entered the Holy Sepulchre. I was sad inside that I did not enter the Holy Church of the Resurrection but I made my cross and glorified the Lord that I was at least in Saint Constantine's. I did not expect to see what I saw next. Suddenly we who sat in front of the Sanctuary saw, flying out of nowhere, two white-blue moving flames that were rotating while at another point the Holy Light appeared like a ribbon of lightning. In the church it should be noted there is no electricity and no electric lights. Everyone cried with joy and made their cross. We all glorified the Lord who found us worthy to see the miraculous and supernatural light which from what some fathers have told us has been seen to appear many times both inside and outside the Holy Sepulchre.
Testimonies come from the book Μυστικά Βιώματα στην Αγία Γη. Translation by John Sanidopoulos.
Below is the first of her own two personal testimonies of the Holy Light in Jerusalem:
1. We were in front of the Holy Sepulchre when the Patriarch entered the Holy Sepulchre. The church was dark and the eyes of all were fixed on the Fathers of the Holy Tomb, who anxiously and with longing waited for the Patriarch to emerge with the Holy Light. A few minutes before the Patriarch emerged, however, I saw the lamps self-ignite, and a few meters from me there were some ladies whose candles suddenly lit by themselves. I did not manage to turn my head on time to see that on my left - O the miracle! - the candles of those who were next to me also lit by themselves. The people cried with joy and I cried because I was invited to celebrate my Christ. When I lit my 33 candles I put the flame to my face and it did not burn. Furthermore, the texture of the flame was soft. I felt the spark of God on my face and from my joy I moved the candles all over my face. No burns and no burning. The Russians did the same. We were all excited.
The second experience of Nun Sophia took place in 2005:
2. From very early in the morning we had all gathered outside Saint Constantine's in the hope of entering the Church of the Resurrection. Thousands of pilgrims from all over the world waited for a nod from the Israeli police to go beyond the railings. The wait is long and exhausting. I thought about entering Saint Constantine's just in case I would not be able to enter the Church of the Resurrection. There was a crowd there too but I managed to find a corner near the Sanctuary. The hours passed and at 12:30 the Patriarch entered the Holy Sepulchre. I was sad inside that I did not enter the Holy Church of the Resurrection but I made my cross and glorified the Lord that I was at least in Saint Constantine's. I did not expect to see what I saw next. Suddenly we who sat in front of the Sanctuary saw, flying out of nowhere, two white-blue moving flames that were rotating while at another point the Holy Light appeared like a ribbon of lightning. In the church it should be noted there is no electricity and no electric lights. Everyone cried with joy and made their cross. We all glorified the Lord who found us worthy to see the miraculous and supernatural light which from what some fathers have told us has been seen to appear many times both inside and outside the Holy Sepulchre.
Testimonies come from the book Μυστικά Βιώματα στην Αγία Γη. Translation by John Sanidopoulos.