South of the village of Voni, in the Prefecture of Heraklion of Crete, is the Monastery of Saint Marina, which is considered miraculous. In fact, in the past, as it is believed, it was gushing with holy water near its chapel.
Thousands of pilgrims from all parts of Crete and throughout Greece, approximately 100,000 people, gather on the day of the Saint's feast day, on July 17. This is done to venerate the miraculous icon, to ask for the Saint's help, to thank her for another miracle of hers. There are not a few who go on foot, carrying bread, candles or whatever they want as an offering. Some crawl on their knees to repay a vow.
According to historical sources, the area where the Monastery of Saint Marina is located was owned by Hosref Pasha from Voni and he sold it to John Kaparounakis from Thrapsanos. The aga did not include in the contract a ruined chapel, which was inside the estate. Kaparounakis rebuilt it with the assistance of the residents of Voni and Thrapsanos in 1901. A marble inscription at the entrance of the chapel reads: "This sacred temple was built with the contribution and care of the pious John A. Kaparounakis from Thrapsanos in the year 1901."
Over the chapel was built a new magnificent church, guest houses, etc. The church was a holy place of pilgrimage and was managed by a seven-member committee of which three members were from Thrapsanos, three from Voni and the Archbishop of Crete was the chairman. Today it is an autonomous Monastery with few nuns.
According to another tradition, John Kaparounakis was passing by the site of the current monastery on his way to his village and stopped at the spot to cool off, because he was not feeling well. He drank from the spring and immediately the health problems he was facing disappeared, while on the spot he also found a small icon of Saint Marina.
Then he asked the Turkish owner to allow him to build a small temple, but this was not possible. When later the children of the Turk started to get sick, only then did he call John Kaparounakis - who is also the founder of the monastery - telling him that the matter he had put to him would be implemented.
"They brought the child from Athens. He was dumb and 'wooden'. I say it and I shudder. The candles lit by the faithful to her Grace were extinguished, and suddenly the two-three-year-old child began to move. The mother fainted and then we all started to cry together!"
Many and famous are the miracles of Saint Marina of Voni, with the above being manifested on the eve of her feast before the eyes of Mrs. Marina Papadakis. A 3-year-old boy, who was lying paralyzed on a mattress next to the candles lit by the faithful, suddenly spoke and got up. During the recounting of the new testimony, on the day of the Saint's feast day, other believers did their cross, shuddering from what they heard, and they spoke about their own case, like Ms. Yasemi Kyriakakis.
She was facing, as she said, for the last decade a serious problem with her lips and she got well in the last two years, with the help of Saint Marina, who "made the wounds disappear." There are many testimonies from people and this is shown by the vows that the faithful hang on the icons. We have the testimonies of many people, pointed out the rector of the Monastery, Father Cornelios. "A lady came last year, on a weekday, to the monastery, in order to pray with deep faith to the icon of Saint Marina. I asked her if I could help with anything, because she was sobbing, and she replied that she was coming from far away and that she had breast cancer. 'I saw Saint Marina in my dream and she told me... come to my house and don't be afraid,' the lady told me. After some months she came back with her relatives and told me that she has nothing. We can say that this is a miracle of the Saint,", he added.
Particularly moving for Mr. Psalia were what unfolded, however, yesterday at the Monastery, with a family of gypsies who came reverently to thank Saint Marina for saving their child last year. Their child had a heart problem and the doctors had written him off. "They came to the monastery on foot from Heraklion. When they entered, they wore black clothes over their clothes, which they then took off and left next to the icon, as well as money and a golden lira. The girl's mother was on her knees. The child's grandmother and father were carrying a tin of oil and two carpets. All of us who listened to them cried during their prayer."
Source: From the newspaper "Nea Kriti" 07/18/2009. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
Thousands of pilgrims from all parts of Crete and throughout Greece, approximately 100,000 people, gather on the day of the Saint's feast day, on July 17. This is done to venerate the miraculous icon, to ask for the Saint's help, to thank her for another miracle of hers. There are not a few who go on foot, carrying bread, candles or whatever they want as an offering. Some crawl on their knees to repay a vow.
According to historical sources, the area where the Monastery of Saint Marina is located was owned by Hosref Pasha from Voni and he sold it to John Kaparounakis from Thrapsanos. The aga did not include in the contract a ruined chapel, which was inside the estate. Kaparounakis rebuilt it with the assistance of the residents of Voni and Thrapsanos in 1901. A marble inscription at the entrance of the chapel reads: "This sacred temple was built with the contribution and care of the pious John A. Kaparounakis from Thrapsanos in the year 1901."
Over the chapel was built a new magnificent church, guest houses, etc. The church was a holy place of pilgrimage and was managed by a seven-member committee of which three members were from Thrapsanos, three from Voni and the Archbishop of Crete was the chairman. Today it is an autonomous Monastery with few nuns.
According to another tradition, John Kaparounakis was passing by the site of the current monastery on his way to his village and stopped at the spot to cool off, because he was not feeling well. He drank from the spring and immediately the health problems he was facing disappeared, while on the spot he also found a small icon of Saint Marina.
Then he asked the Turkish owner to allow him to build a small temple, but this was not possible. When later the children of the Turk started to get sick, only then did he call John Kaparounakis - who is also the founder of the monastery - telling him that the matter he had put to him would be implemented.
"They brought the child from Athens. He was dumb and 'wooden'. I say it and I shudder. The candles lit by the faithful to her Grace were extinguished, and suddenly the two-three-year-old child began to move. The mother fainted and then we all started to cry together!"
Many and famous are the miracles of Saint Marina of Voni, with the above being manifested on the eve of her feast before the eyes of Mrs. Marina Papadakis. A 3-year-old boy, who was lying paralyzed on a mattress next to the candles lit by the faithful, suddenly spoke and got up. During the recounting of the new testimony, on the day of the Saint's feast day, other believers did their cross, shuddering from what they heard, and they spoke about their own case, like Ms. Yasemi Kyriakakis.
She was facing, as she said, for the last decade a serious problem with her lips and she got well in the last two years, with the help of Saint Marina, who "made the wounds disappear." There are many testimonies from people and this is shown by the vows that the faithful hang on the icons. We have the testimonies of many people, pointed out the rector of the Monastery, Father Cornelios. "A lady came last year, on a weekday, to the monastery, in order to pray with deep faith to the icon of Saint Marina. I asked her if I could help with anything, because she was sobbing, and she replied that she was coming from far away and that she had breast cancer. 'I saw Saint Marina in my dream and she told me... come to my house and don't be afraid,' the lady told me. After some months she came back with her relatives and told me that she has nothing. We can say that this is a miracle of the Saint,", he added.
Particularly moving for Mr. Psalia were what unfolded, however, yesterday at the Monastery, with a family of gypsies who came reverently to thank Saint Marina for saving their child last year. Their child had a heart problem and the doctors had written him off. "They came to the monastery on foot from Heraklion. When they entered, they wore black clothes over their clothes, which they then took off and left next to the icon, as well as money and a golden lira. The girl's mother was on her knees. The child's grandmother and father were carrying a tin of oil and two carpets. All of us who listened to them cried during their prayer."
Source: From the newspaper "Nea Kriti" 07/18/2009. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
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