Crepidoma faith and Holy

Orthodox ramparts of our

people, Ark trainees pious
monks existed was the
venerable Monastery of the
Virgin Mary, the so-called
Eikosifoinisis, to Paggeo
mountain. Ruined was, when
after the enthronement I visited
it. »So they would have the
enemies of the Faith and the
nation. Knew enough about the
glorious history and the role
played by the monastery during
the long period of black slavery
of the race of the Hellenes. The
contemplation of the historical
past filled with a secret power
my soul. And when he
etermatisa THE prsefchi my
kathimagmeno church of the
Monastery, I had taken my
decision: I do everything
possible to ask for assistance
and support individuals, groups
and the state, to the historic
monastery to be rebuilt
magnificently, as a symbol of
indomitable faith frontier of
Macedonia, our immortal ideals
of our race.

And the Lord blessed toil and

care of the alert ON bishops and
pious nuns. With the generous
supply of material the local
church, the state and the
Christians crew Theosostou
Metropolis Drama, The ruined
monastery rebuilt from its
pedestal. The project
completion kopon demanded
money and too many non-stop
action and understanding and
patience and superhuman
efforts of the Abbess and
supporting it.

Already, the Holy Monastery of

Panagia Ikosifinissa not only its
buildings but also as a fraternity,
works in a way that honors
Orthodox monasticism. Is the
pride of the Holy. Metropolis
Polonia traction and thousands
of pilgrims, who was rushing in
during all seasons of the year to
worship the grace of the Blessed
Virgin Mary and n embrace the
miraculous image, tipped and
the "vow" for what the
intercession of the gift.

The history of the Holy

Monastery lost in the mists of
time. Longstanding tradition
says that Bishop Sozon Filippi,
who took part in D Oikoimeniki
Synod of Chalcedon (451 AD,
founded the church and
monastic settlement in place
Vigla 50 meters East of
Ikosifinissa and currently are the
remains strong walls and towers.
When he arrived here the first
of the Holy Maria Tselentis.
Monastery, ie Saint Germain,
everything was abandoned. Led
son from St. Mary's command,
led by the angel, came from the
Holy Place where he led his
asceticism by the Tenth.
Monastery of St. John the
Baptist.

Digging for the foundation of

the temple, near the ruins of
Vigla, found two crosses, with
the power of which many
miracles happened. Excited local
residents have offered money
for the completion of the project,
but not arrived and technicians
hired dragged by force to be
tried in Drama. Traces of blood
from violent behavior survive at
delivery on rocks along the trails
witness. On the way met two
Gentlemen of Istanbul,
Neophytos and Nikolaos,
returning from a mission of the
Emperor Basil A of Macedon
(867-886) to the Serbs. When
they learned the cause, offered
that money required by the
technicians went to
Constantinople, they sold their
belongings and itthan TO MANAS
this new Holy. Monastery. Saint
Germain commanded the
monastery with prudence and
wisdom passed away in peace
after having appointed his
successor Neophytos. His
memory is celebrated on
November 22, and the Life of
manuscripts preserved in 19 of
the cabinet 59 of the Laurentian
Library in Florence.

As to the meaning of the name

Holy. Monastery Ikosifinissa
three version states:
a) the name So the German St
Maria Tselentis, to
 commemorate the site where
the first received by the angel to
the mandate of the Theotokos
for the construction of Holy.
Monastery: Situated in one
place, a small oasis just outside
the Holy. Monastery of St. John
the Baptist, with twenty palms.
b) The well-known songwriter of
the 18th century Caesarius
Dapontes Kossyfinitsa calls it,
because according to tradition, a
merle (blackbird) led San
German to the point where the
holy water welling up to date.
c) the abbot of the Holy.
Chrysanthos Monastery (in
1782) says that while the Saint
Germain, after the construction
of the monastery, seeking
appropriate board to become
the icon of the Theotokos, those
with Miraculously offered him up
now saved image, that shine
and emit 'palms ', ie red, light.
From this prevailed the term
"Ikosifinissa (image Phoenician -
Phoenician icon - Ikosifinissa).

Sources are not saved on the

history of the Holy. Monastery
for a period of several centuries,
the death of the founder.
Archaeological evidence
suggesting that the 11th century
built again "universal" of the
Virgin Mary that was later
decorated with frescoes. Or I.
Abbey was "stavropegic", ie
depended on the Ecumenical
Patriarchate. News on
Ikosifinissa have from February
1320 and May 1395, while new
brilliance saw the monastery
from 1472, when he came to
thyself egkataviosei son quit the
 throne of the Ecumenical
Patriarch of St Dionysius, who is
considered the second Maria
Tselentis of the Holy.
Monastery. In the time that
remained here, erected many
new buildings, repair old groom
the nave interior and exterior.
Highly venerated saints as
spiritual father or Christian
Sultana Maro, stepmother of
Mehmed II the Conqueror (1451
- 1481), which benefited with
large donations on I. Monastery
and was buried in it in 1487.

Singilia favor the prerogatives

of the Holy. Monastery issued by
the patriarchs Trapezountios
Simon (1474) and Maxim (1477).

During his days Dionisiou who

was called to the patriarchal
throne a second time and in
1491, when he resigned
voluntarily to returned to Holy.
Monastery, Eiikosifoinissa
acquired great prosperity and
splendor. In 1507 monks lived
there 24, 3 deacon and 145
monks. Accrue Eastern
Macedonia and Thrace, and
strengthen Christians distracted
Islamization. This, however,
angered Turkey's local ruler,
who is 23 April 1507 destroyed
the monastery of St. George
(today Palaiochorio Paggaio) and
25 August of that year, and
massacred the 172 monks
Ikosifinissa WITHOUT peraxei
sacred buildings.

Following is the complete

slaughter, the Patriarchate has
achieved its 1510 or 1520 to
 obtain authorization from the
Sultan for reorganization of the
Holy. Monastery, NE transport
10 monks from the Athonite
Vatopedio. By 1917 saved 15
singilia patriarchal (adopted by
the 1474 until 1857) showing
the importance of the Holy.
Monastery and the great interest
of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
Among other things came into
exile in 1798 and remained here
for 9 months martyr Patriarch
Gregory V and spent THE
dikirotrikira it.

Cultural and national centers of

the region, the monastery of
Paggaio prepare for national
revolt against the Turks. Here
was the headquarters of a great
fighter Nick Tsaras here
Emmanuel Pappas orquesta the
Gunners and declared the
Revolution.

Famous was the Greek School

of the Holy. Monastery IN
WHICH cultivated letters, for
raising the educational level of
the river, while considerable was
also the Library. Before the
looting by the Bulgarians
(1917) contained 1300 volumes,
of which 430 manuscripts of
great value.

In the centuries that prosperity

built or repaired many
sanctuaries or auxiliary
buildings, like the very old main
church of the Virgin Mary, the 11
th century,
was destroyed by the
great earthquake of 5 May 1829.
Its construction was completed
in 1842.
 Difficulties passed the
Ikosifinissa the second half of
the 19 th century. In 1854 a fire
burnt by the West and part of
the north side, and the 1864
cholera decimated monks. To
lift Holy. Monastery worked as
many patriarchs and particularly
the Metropolitan Chrysostomos
of Drama (1902 - 1910), later
martyr Bishop of Smyrna (1922).

As a bastion of Hellenism in
Eastern Macedonia and Thrace,
Ikosifinissa not take long to
accept the criminal attacks of
the Bulgarians. They, when they
occupied the region in 1916,
after mikroepeisodia and
administration, since October 3
1916 slaughtered by "unknown"
The previous Elder Makarios the
Great came Monday, March 27,
1917, the Tenth. Bulgarian
Monastery guerillas led by
compatriot Panitsa and
archaeologist Vladimir Shish,
shut down in the area of the new
oven, Neophytos beat the abbot
and two monks and raided the
Holy. Monastery. Left, having
loaded the mules in 18
manuscripts, vestments and
relics of inestimable value and
the gold cap of Acheiropoiitos
Image. If, after the Treaty of
Neuilly in 1923, Professor of
Byzantine Archaeology C.
Sotiriou, went to Sofia to seek
reimbursement of diarpagenton,
found little. Most found later,
had been sold to libraries in
Western Europe and America.

On 23 June
1917 the Bulgarians
 order all monks to leave the
Holy. Monastery. Ikosifinissa the
left desolate ... The monachooi
returned on 10 October 1918,
after the defeat of Bulgaria and
Germany.

The "miracle of the boot" and

the gun, testified one of the
many unsuccessful attempts of
the Bulgarian TO THE syllisoun
acheirpoiiti icon of the Virgin, by
moving to Bulgaria.

ON almost completed
destruction of Holy. Bulgarian
Monastery achieved during the
Second World War. While
holding restriction Abbot
Gregory with 12 monks, set fire
and burned the buildings of the
Holy. Monastery on 12 July
1943. The main temple was
rescued, was cremated But the
hostel with 365 rooms and three
chapels. Piles of rubble now,
where the spiritual life throbbed.

An attempt to restore the Holy.

Monastery became in 1946 the
then abbot Katsivaki Gregory,
who with the help of Christians
and personal work built the
abbey and carried triumphantly
in place and the icon who for
security had to Nikisiani. In
1957 he erected Mokra hostel
(10 rooms).

Radical reconstruction of the

Holy. Monastery began and
ended after the election and
enthronement me. I found
dilapidated and abandoned the
historic Holy. Monastery. And
made from the first moment my
concern its reconstruction. In a
decade the situation changed
radically. Today Ikosifinissa
presents an architectural whole
megalopropestero than it was
before burning. Electricity and
street lighting, kallopisthike was
associated with roadway,
facilitating the numerous
pilgrims reach the Holy.
Monastery.

Excerpt from the book quarter-

century Episcopal Life and
Action 1965 - 1990 "of the late
Metropolitan Dionysius Drama