Valuables stolen from wonderworking icon in Greek monastery (+VIDEO)

Gavalou, Makryneia, Greece, February 17, 2023

Photo: Romfea Photo: Romfea Unknown perpetrators broke into a monastery in Greece and stole the valuables offered to a wonderworking icon by the faithful last week.

The crime occurred at the Holy Monastery of Panagia Katerinou, located just above the town of Gavalou, 175 miles northwest of Athens on Wednesday, February 8. It was noticed by the nuns during the morning service the next day, and they immediately called the police.

The door to the catholicon church was broken, the glass over the miraculous Panagia Katerinou Icon was smashed, and the pious offerings of the faithful had been stolen, reports Romfea.

The perpetrators made away with 10 golden crosses, 25 rings, and two episcopal Panagias, among other items. The faithful make such offerings to wonderworking icons in gratitude for a miraculous healing or some other miracle.

It’s thought that the monastery’s dogs were sprayed with something that made them fall asleep.

After a theft at a nearby cathedral a few years ago, Metropolitan Kosmas of Aetolia ordered that the majority of such value able offerings should be moved from the monasteries and churches to a safe place. Thus, the items that were stolen were only from the last decade.

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Panagia Katerinou Monastery sits on the spot where a shepherdess named Katerina was once guided by a Heavenly light and voice to find an icon of the Theotokos. She was ordered by the Theotokos to build an iconostasis there, so passers-by could stop and pray. The later foundation of the monastery is based on this Heavenly revelation.

The monastery has been a spiritual, national, social, and educational center over the centuries.

The video below shows scenes from around the monastery:

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2/17/2023

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Comments
Panagiotis2/20/2023 12:41 am
To Orthodox Brother Alexander: You are exactly right Brother. They will be cursed by God for doing this, and He will punish them as surely as the sun will rise every morning. All Glory to our God! Just my humble opinion.
Alexander 2/17/2023 1:09 pm
God shall punish them! They will have no luck with these stolen gifts.
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