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Historic facts of St. Raphael's Holy monastery,

Historic facts of St. Raphael's Holy monastery

A little yonder above Loutropolis of Thermi, there exists the Hill of Karyes, which used to be known as "Panaghia of Karyes"; there were some hewn stones up here and this space was very fragrant. They would light an oil candle and once a year on Easter Tuesday they would perform the Divine Liturgy, proned by traditional custom, without knowing why.

Likewise, this Hill has also carried by tradition the name of "Kalogeros". It took this name because of a supernatural vision. Countless of trustworthy persons for many years would see a monk walking around this place, and many times with a censer in his hand and he would disappear amidst a splendour of light. And they were not only Christians who had seen this monk, but also Turks. In 1917 the Turkish archons (rulers) who owned an estate with olive trees on the Hill of Karyes, commissioned the police officer of Thermi, Efstratios Sitara, to elucidate through police investigations this mystery, but after a short period of time they themselves discontinued the investigations because Arif-Efendis stated that it was useless for the investigations to continue since 'with their own eyes" they verified that it was a matter of a supernatural vision.

  At this holy place of Karyes there was an olive tree property owned by the Turkish archon, Hasan- Bei, in which there was a small country chapel in the name of Panaghia, which had only an old evergreen oak and a broken piece of marble which they were using as a Holy Altar. The residents of Thermi, following a tradition, used to go up there each Easter Tuesday to perform the Divine Liturgy and celebrate, without hinderance by the Turkish owner of the property. All Thermiotes (residents of Thermi) never ceased seeing supernatural visions and especially the shepherds who were grazing their flocks of sheep close by here. They would see the small country chapel illuminated by a heavenly Light many times, and they would hear from within it ultramundane bells ringing and psalmodic singing. A woman related to me that her husband was grazing his sheep at this place and when he would occasionally send his children she would object by saying: "You are used to the monk you see, but the children are not and they will be scared".

There are many moving stories by trustworthy people in relation to this holy place of Karyes. There was also a traditional belief that at this place there once lived monks who were killed by the Turks, but during which period none knew to tell, and there was a female Monastery many years prior to the monks and which was destroyed by barbarians. Then, as much as the tradition of the place and as much as the. stories narrated by those who had become eyewitnesses to the supernatural appearances at the Hill of Karyes, the residents of Thermi were convinced to feel that this place has Divine grace and that it is holy.

  After the destruction suffered by the Greek people of Asia Minor, the Turkish olive tree property was passed on to the refugee family of Mr. Marangos and in order to carry out a promise by their mother Angeliki, Mr. Angelos Rallis sought permission from His Grace the Metropolitan, Mr. lakovos, for the building of a little Church. During the excavations for the foundations on the 3rd of July, 1959, the workmen with Doukas Tsolakis in charge, found a grave within which there was a human skeleton which had a sweet fragrance, as they said, and its head was resting on a round stone as a pillow.

It was, however, far from the body, about thirty centimetres and the lower jaw was mis- sing. At this spot there was a ceramic tile from the Byzantine.era and there was a cross engraved on it. The hands were crossed over the chest. They immediately notified the priest of the village, Reverend Father EfthyMios Tsolos, the Holy Metropolis, and the archaelogist, Mr. Haritonidis, because with the exception of the grave they also found some ecclesia- stical marbles dating back to the Byzantine era. The archaeologist verified that this area was archaeological, and he gave them permission to build the little Church. However, he forbade them from digging again in a radius of one hundred metres around this spot nor even to the olive trees, roots. Since the day of the finding of the unknown dead person's grave, there started -happening here amazing supernatural phenomena which would leave the workers astonished. Mr. Doukas Tsolakis collected the bones and put them with an offhanded manner in a sack. In his effort to lift the sack, however, he found it impossible because of the excessive weight. Inexplicable noises were also heard from the bones which were producing a fragrance of incense.

Two of the workers, Mr. Leonidas Sideras who kicked the sack, felt all of his leg become numb, and Mr. Doukas Tsolakis who without reverence went to lift it and his hand remained motionless unable to move the sack which had become immovable until the moment, terrified as he was, he thought of making the sign of the Gross. They had invited the Priest for a trisagion (a most holy service for the deceased) and he answered: "Who can I commemorate, since I do not know who he is and what his name is?" During the night, the Saint made His appearance to the Priest and to different other persons and He said that His name is Raphael and His birth - place is the island of Ithaka.

He was appearing to young and old, then and women, children, reverend and even to irreverend persons, sometimes as a Clergyman, other times with sacerdotal vestments of a higher Clergyman, and other times as a simple Monk. Many times during the same night, many persons with no relationship amongst themselves would see the same dream. He was telling them: "I am the Holy Martyr Raphael, the remains found at Karyes are mine. I suffered martyrdom by the Turks on the 9th of April, 1463. 1 am the Monk whom they used to see for so many years".

 His story according to the revelations is the fol- lowing: He was known in the world by the name of Georgios Laskaridis. His father was named Dionysius and his mother Maria. They were very devout people and they gave Georgios a Christian upbringing and a great education. At a very young age he served as an army officer for a short period of time. He then became a Monk and a Clergyman taking the name of Raphael. He served as a Parish priest and prea- cher at the Parish of St. Dimitrios, of Loumbardiaris at. Akropolis in Athens, and then he became Archimandrite and Bishop at the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.,

Because of his enormous education and vast range of activities, the Patriarchate - as he himself said in his, revelations sent him on a mission to France and' there, at the city of Morlaix, met for the first time the youn student Nicholaos, who came from Thessalonika. He came from a wealthy family, a son of a notary public and his parents had sent him to study at a French university. The historical search proved that in the 15th century a little before the conquest of Constantinople, the Ecumenical Patriarchate sent educated and zea us c ergymen to ance for some theological conference. Morlaix is a historlcal  city of, France, indeed with a religious historical background as it is also shown by the old Churches that have been built during the 5th and 6th centuries. It was there then at Morlaix that Archimandrite Raphael was first acquainted with Nicholaos. Moved by the Christian teaching, the young university student abandoned the wordly life and followed Archimandrite Raphael.

The Tomb of Saint Raphael as it is today. He returned with him to Greece, he embraced the Monastic way of life and after a while was ordained Deacon. He became his faithful collaborator, devoted to him, and since then they never parted. When the conquest of Constantinople took place by the Turks in 1453, they happened to be in Thraki (N.E Greece). In the year 1454 they departed from the port of Alexandroupolis together with other refugees and they came to Lesvos, which at that time was free. They came out by a small ship to the little harbour of Thermi. Immediately they enquired whether there was a hermitage for their reclusion, and then the Holy Monastery of the Birthday of Theotokos was shown to them - which preexisted as a female Monastery and it was destroyed by pirates during the year 1235 - located at the Hill of Karyes above Loutropolis of Thermi which is situated 14 Kilometres away from Mytilini.

There was only one Monk living in solitude whose name was Roubim, and subsequently -a small brotherhood was formed under the abbacy of holy Raphael, which lived in peace and harmony for nine (9) years. Meanwhile the Monk Roubim died and his position was occupied by another monk named Stavros. Abbot Raphael had brotherly connections - as he revealed - with both the community chief and the teacher o T ermi. This Monastery was built by a pious lady by the name of Melpomeni in 1433, upon the ruins of the old female Monastery, which was destroyed by pirates on the llth of May, 1235, and had suffered martyrdom - all of the thirty nuns and their Mother Superior Olympia, whom they tortured and put her to death by hammering big nails through her cranium and body.

Melpomeni carrying out her promise to the Bles- sed Virgin Mary Theotokos, who. healed her child Akindynos miraculously, had dedicated part of her estate to this Monastery for its maintenance and she offered Akindynos to serve there. Here then they lived peacefully for nine years, Saint Raphael together with Saint Nicholaos, because Mytilini was still free, due to her rulers (Gatelouzous Genouates), who were paying each year a tax of subjection to Mohammed the Conqueror. But in 1462 Mohammed conquered Lesvos after a seventeen day siege (17 September, 1462) despite all the great resistance of her inhabitants. The Turks did not disturb the Monastery immediately.

However, after six or so months, in April of 1463, during Holy Week, a movement occurred in Tbermi, which caused some agitation and the Chri- stians went up to Katyes to hide frightened of the Turks'wrath. The teacher, Theodoros and the Community Chief, Vasilios, together with his family also went up to the Monastery. Saint Raphael performed the Divine Liturgy for the last time on Holy Thursday. On Good Friday, Turks went up to the Monastery and seized Abbot Raphael, Deacon Nicholaos, the family of the Community Chief and the teacher. All the others managed to hide in the mountain. Then, they started torturing them in various ways in order to confess where 

the other Christians were hiding. The twelve year old daughter of the Community Chief, Irene, after cutting off her little hand in front of her parents, whom they had tied up on a walnuttree, was put in a big earthern pot and she was burnt to death. Her father, the Community Chief, Vasilios, her mother, Maria and the Teacher, Theodoros, were all massacred inhumanly.

They were pulling Saint Raphael by the hair and beard with force, they were beating him savagely, they were stabbing him with bayonets and afterwards they hung him upside down from a walnut tree and they sawed his mouth and cut off his jaw on the Tuesday of Diakenisimos (Easter Week).

They had tied up Saint Nicholaos on a walnut tree and upon seeing that his beloved Abbot was being tortured, with the first stabbings of the bayonets, he died from heart failure. It was the 9th of April, 1463. Then they set the Monastery on fire and they fled.

The next night some devout Christians together with the attendant Akindynos and the third Monk who was saved with an elderly Priest from the village, buried the Martyrs secretly. The Abbot was buried in the ruins of the burnt out Church, and the others in the front courtyard.

The Holy Relics were found in an extraordinary manner and the events which followed their discovery in this place are countless. The unknown until then story of the Holy Monastery which He Saint himself revealed, amazed everyone, because the pickaxe verified by bringing to light from the depths of the earth the precious treasures and heavenly gifts.

The harbour of Thermi

The Tomb of Saint Nicholaos as it is today. How could they not be amazed, since they put their hand on to the print of the nails? Everything that was indicated by the Saint, was brought to light by the pickaxes How could they not believe, when the Saint was telling them that at this spot is the grave of Saint Nicholaos, it will be found on a Monday which it will be raining (and although it was a summer's day 13th June, suddenly it became cloudy and it started to rain). On that same day near the, grave of Saint Nicholaos, there it was found the lead-seal as it was indicated by the Saint, which dates back to the 14th century and on one side it depicts. The Panaghia (The Blessed Virgin Mary) and on the other the Archangel (Taxiarhi) Michael, and as the arcaeologist who took it to the Museum said, this was a patriarchal privileged Seat of Byzantium. The ruins of the ancient Church were also found.

The Saint indicated exactly the places where the graves of the other Martyrs were. The big earthern pot in which little Irene suffered martyrdom, the grave of teacher Theodoros, the two graves belonging to the Community Chief Vasilios and his daughter little Irene, as well as Saint Irene's charred Remains. About one week ago the ancient Church had been found with its hagiographics on the ruined walls and the redflagstone paved floor. The portico with the Holy Water and the Ikon of The Pantokratoras in the shape of a vademecum were also found. Together with the Ikon, there were found some sheets of parchment with jewels from a handwritten Gospel, as well as some pieces of wood which most certainly must have been from the old Ikon. The sheets of parchment dispersed as soon as they came in contact with the air.

The Tomb of Saint Irene.

The Ikon that was found is round, carved and it portrays Jesus Christ. It looks as if it was a vademec- um, because on its upper part it had an opening. It was goldplated because in some of its cavities the goldplating has been preserved. It depicts Jesus Pantokratoras, as the Lord is usually portrayed on the dome of Orthodox Churches. He is wearing a widecreased garment. With His right hand He is blessing the people and with the left He is pressing upon. His chest the Holy Bible. This vade-mecum is a work of the 14th Century, splendid Byzantine art. All residents of Thermi were roused and they would climb up there with curiosity to see the Light of the world, as the Saint that it would be found.

Every so often more and different persons would see these miraculous signs, which were verified by the pickaxe. During the excavation there were found many ancient earthern objects: cups, oil cruets, censers, earthen pots and an earthen basin, broken, with engraved crosses on it. There were also found some small pieces of wall paintings dating back to the Saints' time, and some coins from the Byzantine era. And on one of these the Archangel Michael is portrayed.

Saint Raphael revealed the spot where His jaw was and which was missing from His grave, saying that the Christians buried him during the night with fear and terror and they did not notice that his cut off jaw was thrown under the tree where they had sawed him up, so that they could bury it together with His body. And indeed, it was found exactly at the spot which He indicated.

The grave of Igoumeni (Mother Superior) Olympia who suffered martyrdom in 1235 when the pirates destroyed Panaghia's old Monastery and killed the Nuns, was also found. On her head there were found three large nails, the two in the area of the ears and the other in the jaw area. In between the body skeleton, more nails were found which are preserved at the chest, together with her Remains.

During the excavation of Saint Raphael's present Church, in considerable depth under the ruins of the ancient Church, other foundations of an enormous wall were found and as the archaeologist said, this belongs to the previous great Church which was destroyed in 1235.

In this manner, then, the pickaxe proved every- thing true. The Saint revealed that they were put to death by the Turks on the 9th of April, 1463, at dawn on Tuesday, which happened at that time to be the Tuesday of Diakenisimos (Easter Week) which the residents of Thermi preserved during the centuries as a religious anniversary for this place, without knowing its meaning.

They would climb up there on the Tuesday of Diakenisimos (Easter Week) to perform the Divine Liturgy under a big evergreen oak tree at the ruins of the little church of the Birthday of Theotokos, which existed there at older times, and they would follow the old tradition. The search that was made for the finding of the Easter Canon for that year 1463 proved, to the amazement of all, that in actual fact during the year 1463 Holy Easter befell on the 8th of April and therefore during the night of the 9th of April the massacre of the Martyrs took place. The Rememberance of the Saints is celebrated during Tuesday of Diakenisimos (Easter Week) each year because the 9th of April, the-day of their martyrdom usually befalls during Great Lent in the Holy Week.

Since His Eminence verified, that these amazing facts and revelations were proven true, by Divine Providence, he wanted a Monastery for ladies to be built and thus it was reestablished and its rebirth was recognized by our liberated nation 500 years after the drama of Karyes (1463-1963) On the 12th of September, 1963, with a decision of the Department of Education and Religion, reference No. 346 of the 29th of September, 1963, FEK there was established on the place of the martyrdom a Holy Monastery, Convent for Ladies, according to the wish and suggestion of the Metropolitan of Mytilini, Mr. lakovos Kleombrotou, who until this day supervises and surrounds the Monastery, with his love and he rejoices with its progress.

"Regarding the establishment of the Holy Monastery of St. Raphael at the place 'Karyai' of the Community Thermi-Lesvos, I am serving the relevant order: 

The Litany of the Holy Cranium Remains of the Holy Martyr Saint Raphael on the Day of Bright' Easter Tuesday

EVGENIA KLEIDARA. (Mother Superior) of St. Raphael's Holy Monastery. Copyright 2000.

Hymn Tune d'


You have contended for Christ our God at Lesvos, sanctifying this land with the discovery of your Holy Remains, oh Blissful!
Therefore, we honour you Raphael God-bearing, together with Nicholaos and Virgin Irene, as our divine protectors and ambassadors to our Lord.

http://www.agios-raphael.com/english/index.html

 

 

 

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