Eldress Makrina Vassopoulou (1921-1995) spoke of the following experience she had with the Panagia:
We must love the Panagia very much. Pull her in with your prayer rope, make daily supplication to her, and she will take us all to Paradise.
I saw her when I was a little 15 year old girl [with the appearance of the Panagia Gorgoepikoos, which is an icon she had in her monastic cell], at the time of the Cherubic Hymn, while I was kneeling.
She was standing in front of the Beautiful Gate and was holding the Christ Child on her belly. I will never forget those sweet eyes of hers, how they looked at me until her look penetrated into my heart. They were blue and the Panagia had two blonde braids, but all of my attention was focused on her eyes.
And I begged her and said:
"My Panagia, what will happen to us, what will happen to this monastery, we are doing nothing, how shall we be saved?" The Panagia then smiled, and my mood changed from that day on. A calmness had entered my heart from the look of the Panagia.
