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| Monastery of Saint Menas in Aegina |
When Saint Nektarios (+ 1920) went to Aegina and was climbing the hill to go to his Monastery, where he settled permanently, he met Saint Dionysios of Aegina (+ 1622) who appeared to him on the way. He, as is known, was once Bishop of Aegina and now his relics are preserved intact in Zakynthos. In Aegina, the chapel and his cell are still preserved. He practiced asceticism there, when he was Bishop of Aegina.
"Come, Nektarios," he said to him. "I am waiting for you." Behind him, however, stood a soldier. Nektarios asked Saint Dionysios:
"And who is this?"
"It is Menas," he answered. "He also lives here."
Of course, this spread everywhere afterwards. Saint Nektarios, who was a stranger to Aegina, asked the locals:
"Do you have a Church of Saint Menas here?"
"No, Your Eminence," they answered him. "Only a deserted church is somewhere very far away."
"And where is this?" He asked them again.
"It is above Saint Marina and near Mesargos." (It was near the ancient Temple of Aphaia).
Two years later, after his settlement, the Saint took two nun sisters, incense, candles and oil. And one morning they set out with animals to find the unknown chapel. Indeed, they found it. It was small and abandoned. The shepherds took refuge in it during rain and bad weather. They lit a fire there, and put their animals inside. The Saint entered the sanctuary and prayed for a long time. When it was over and they went outside, the Saint looked at the sky and then pointed with his hand to that location and said:
"Here will one day be a women's monastery." He continued walking, pointing to the location.
And - O the miracle! - after forty years, the Monastery of Saint Menas was built in a miraculous way by Saint Amphilochios, a spiritual child of Saint Nektarios.
"Come, Nektarios," he said to him. "I am waiting for you." Behind him, however, stood a soldier. Nektarios asked Saint Dionysios:
"And who is this?"
"It is Menas," he answered. "He also lives here."
Of course, this spread everywhere afterwards. Saint Nektarios, who was a stranger to Aegina, asked the locals:
"Do you have a Church of Saint Menas here?"
"No, Your Eminence," they answered him. "Only a deserted church is somewhere very far away."
"And where is this?" He asked them again.
"It is above Saint Marina and near Mesargos." (It was near the ancient Temple of Aphaia).
Two years later, after his settlement, the Saint took two nun sisters, incense, candles and oil. And one morning they set out with animals to find the unknown chapel. Indeed, they found it. It was small and abandoned. The shepherds took refuge in it during rain and bad weather. They lit a fire there, and put their animals inside. The Saint entered the sanctuary and prayed for a long time. When it was over and they went outside, the Saint looked at the sky and then pointed with his hand to that location and said:
"Here will one day be a women's monastery." He continued walking, pointing to the location.
And - O the miracle! - after forty years, the Monastery of Saint Menas was built in a miraculous way by Saint Amphilochios, a spiritual child of Saint Nektarios.
