Prokopi, Greece, August 9, 2021
The relics of St. John the Russian While fires have been destructively raging across the Greek island of Evia for a week now and many have been forced to evacuate, the people have also experienced a number of miracles.
As OrthoChristian reported last week, the fire turned away from St. David of Evia Monastery at the last minute. The abbot and brotherhood attribute it to the prayerful intercession of their patron St. David and St. Iakovos of Evia.
The relics of St. John the Russian (+1730) also repose in the village of Prokopi on the island of Evia. Though the residents were initially planning to evacuate to escape the fires, they instead resolved to turn to the Lord in prayer and to ask the intercessions of their beloved St. John.
All the inhabitants of Prokopi participated in a procession with the saint’s relics, calling upon him to halt the deadly flames.
A number of Greek outlets, including Vima Orthodoxias, report that the prayers of the people were heard, and just a few hours later, in the early morning hours of August 7, a torrential downpour began, keeping the village of Prokopi safe.
As a sign of gratitude, Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Chalkida traveled to the church where St. John’s relics are kept to serve Orthros and the Divine Liturgy. In his homily, he emphasized the Metropolitan emphasized that by his miraculous intercession, St. John showed that he supports the people in their ordeal and will continue to support them in their new beginning, after the end of the fiery ordeal.
Another procession was held with the saint’s relics following the Divine Liturgy, that the Lord might bring a stop to the deadly fires:
As for St. David of Evia Monastery, all the churches remain intact, although it seemed they were practically engulfed in flames and everyone assumed they would be destroyed.
News has also spread of the chapel of the Holy Trinity at Limni Marathonos, Greece, which survived the flames, while everything around it was destroyed:
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Vkontakte, Telegram, WhatsApp, MeWe, and Gab!
