August 15, or officially the feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, holds a special place in the Calendar of our Church, which of course is completely in line with the uniqueness of the physiognomy of our Virgin Mary herself. There is literally no Greek Orthodox home that does not have at least one celebrant, Maria or Despina, Giota or Takis, Panagiotis or Marios.
The first celebration of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary is held in Jerusalem, initially on August 13th and from 460 onwards on the 15th of the month, a day on which thousands of believers, not only throughout Greek territory, but also wherever Greeks live, flock to the emblematic churches and pilgrimage sites, which, named with hundreds of different epithets, irrefutably testify to the bottomless popular worship of the Virgin Mary, Megalochari or Phaneromeni, Eleousa or Pantanassa, Vrefokratousa, Sumela or Ekatontapyliani and so many others.
These Theotokonyms sometimes indicate a place (Prousiotissa, Hozoviotissa, Katapoliani) and sometimes express the diverse feelings of the people towards the Mother of God, ranging from familiarity to fear and from deep faith to the need for protection: Pakui, tou Charou, Thalassomachissa, Parigoritissa, Chrysopigi, Megalochari, etc.
Indicative of the special place that the Virgin Mary holds in Greek Orthodox worship is the fact that she is celebrated numerous times throughout the year, starting with the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary on March 25, her Dormition on August 15, the Novena (representation of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary) on August 23, the Nativity of the Virgin Mary on September 8 and the Entrance on November 21, while we should not forget the local holidays, which mainly refer to miracles of the Virgin Mary, such as Chrysopigi in Sifnos, which is celebrated 40 days after Easter, or Martiatissa and Magiatissa in Folegandros, which are celebrated on March 1 and May 1, respectively.
So, let's take a short journey through the Virgin Marys of Greece, the traditions and customs, but also the historical elements of each of them.
A short journey to the Virgin Marys of Greece will certainly include a stop at Panagia Soumela, whose name emblematically encapsulates the entire Christian history of Pontic Hellenism, the heroic exploits of the Acritians and the Empire of the Megalokomnens of Trebizond, as well as their glory and culture. Also, at Panagia Evangelistria of Tinos, which is the most important Christian pilgrimage site after the Holy Sepulchre and of course the complex of Mount Athos, the famous Garden of the Virgin Mary. Finally, to Panagia Ekatontapyliani of Paros, whose impressive temple is one of the largest holy pilgrimage sites in all of Greece, and whose name, according to tradition, refers to the 99 visible gates of the church, while the 100th will be revealed with the opening of a corresponding secret door, located in Hagia Sophia in Constantinople.
Saint Mary of Soumela
Panagia Soumela, two words that emblematically summarize the entire Christian history of Pontic Hellenism, the heroic exploits of the Acritians and the Empire of the Megalokomnens of Trebizond, as well as their kleos and culture. Thousands of believers, Pontians and non-Pontians, from all over Greece, flock here every year, to the area of Kastania in Vermio, near Veria, Imathia, where since 1951 the New Monastery has been located, satisfying the desire of the Pontians for a rocky and quiet place, which would host their Panagia in an environment similar to that in Pontus, to the inaccessible mountain peaks of which, in 386, the Athenian monks Barnabas and Sophronios were led after a revelation of the Panagia herself, with the aim of establishing their solitary dwelling. It should be noted that the icon of the Virgin Mary, following actions by Eleftherios Venizelos in 1930, was transferred from Pontus to Greece and initially - for 20 years - was housed in the Byzantine Museum in Athens.
Virgin Mary Evangelistria of Tinos
Church of the Annunciation of Tinos
The Church of the Annunciation of Tinos is the most important Christian pilgrimage site after the Holy Sepulchre and of course the complex of Mount Athos, the famous Garden of the Virgin Mary. The beautiful marble church, which is a masterpiece of Christian architecture, was based on designs by the Smyrnaean architect Efstratios Kallonaris and was built on the site of the old church of St. John, which was burned by the Saracens in 1200 AD. It is considered one of the most characteristic works of modern Greece, given that it was built during the difficult years of the Revolution of 1821. The church is richly decorated both internally and externally, but mainly it is laden with offerings from the faithful, a sign of gratitude for the miracles of the Virgin Mary on land and sea. The icon of the Annunciation is a work of the early Christian period and is attributed to the Evangelist Luke, and its miraculous properties are said to be due to the Virgin Mary herself, who blessed it. The church of Megalochari is the epicenter of the island's worship, with a significant social and cultural contribution, the peak of which is the organization of the Panhellenic Sacred Foundation of the Evangelistria of Tinos (P.I.I.E.T.), which has established scholarships for higher artistic studies. The most important achievement of the Foundation, however, is the creation of 6 Museums, which highlight the cultural identity of the island and are hosted in the surrounding area of the Megalochari complex.
Panagia Ekatontapiliani, Paros
Panagia Ekatontapiliani, Paros
The impressive church of Panagia Ekatontapyliani of Paros is also one of the largest holy pilgrimage sites in the entire Greek region, and its name, according to tradition, refers to the 99 visible gates of the church, while the 100th will be revealed with the opening of a corresponding secret door, located in Hagia Sophia in Constantinople. It is one of the most important and best-preserved early Christian monuments in Greece, with the original building, according to tradition, being the work of the Byzantine Emperor and Saint Constantine the Great in fulfillment of the wish and vow of his mother Saint Helen, who fled to Paros in order to be saved from severe sea storms during her journey to the Holy Land. About two centuries later, during the time of Emperor Justinian (6th century), the temple was renovated and took on its current monumental form, with modifications to the early Christian sections and reconstructions, which according to tradition were carried out by a student of the architect of Hagia Sophia, who seems to have surpassed even his teacher in art.
Panagia Kanala Kythnos
Panagia Kanala Kythnos
Panagia Kanala, in the homonymous area of Kythnos, is built on a hillside and is surrounded by a beautiful pine forest, which stretches all the way to the shore. Here is kept the miraculous icon of Panagia Vrefokratousa, crafted by the Apostle Luke, always according to tradition, which also conveys to us the miraculous way in which She was found, by some fishermen who were fishing with their boat in the bay of Kanala. The icon that emerged from the seabed was transported to Dryopida, one of the villages of the island, with the Panagia herself appearing in the sleep of the fishermen and indicating the exact spot for the construction of Her temple, where it is located to this day.
The original church was small and had an earthen roof, while the entire structure of the Holy Shrine, which had been preserved until 1946, proves that Panagia Kanala had been converted into a monastery, as confirmed by the documents found in the Benaki Museum and the General State Archives. The current church was built in 1869, after the demolition of the original, while the large miraculous icon is the work of the famous hagiographer priest Emmanuel Skordilis of Crete (1575).
Panagia Folegandros
The beautiful church of the Dormition of the Theotokos, of the Virgin Mary, as the Folegandites lovingly and reverently call her, without other epithets, has been built on the site where, as evidenced by surviving ancient inscriptions, there must have been a sanctuary of Selasphoros Artemis and the Protector Apollo. According to the descriptions of travelers of the 17th and 18th centuries, we conclude that this church was the catholicon of a male monastery, while in its courtyard are scattered ancient inscribed marbles, as well as a headless statue from the Roman era, built into the freestanding, tall bell tower. The church of the Virgin Mary is a single-aisled basilica with a dome, whose length exceeds 30 meters. The dome has a characteristically low, octagonal tympanum and a peculiarity of the monument is the existence, east and west of the dome, of two elegant temple-shaped structures. Entering the temple, which also has a women's cloister, we cannot help but admire the astonishingly beautiful, unique on the island, marble iconostasis, constructed in 1896 by the Tinian marble sculptor Kaparias, who ten years later constructed the also marble archiepiscopal throne, as well as the built pulpit.
Panagia Agiasos, Lesvos
In the heart of Agiasos and in the city's central square, one of the most important pilgrimage sites of Lesvos is hosted, the emblematic church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, the history of which is closely linked to the icon of the Virgin Mary, called "Agia Zion", due to the fact that it was transferred here from Jerusalem - also known as Zion - by Agathon, in 803 AD. Through a modification of this name, today's Agiasos emerged, which was previously called Karya.
In 1170, the monks of Karya built - with the permission of the then governor of Lesvos, Konstantinos Valerios - the church of the Virgin Mary, on the hill where the bones of Agathon were located. In 1806, on the initiative of the then Metropolitan of Mytilene Ieremios and the prelates of Agiasos, it was demolished and a new and larger church was built, which a few years later, in 1812, became the remains of the devastating fire that incinerated a large part of the town. In 1815, with the donations of the faithful and with fundraisers conducted by the Metropolitan of Mytilene Kallinikos, the third church in a row was erected on the same spot, which survives to this day. The number of pilgrims every August, from every corner of the island, Greece or even abroad, is truly impressive.
Our Lady of Mercy, Lipsi
The Panagia tou Charou, in the small but beautiful Lipsi, is a Byzantine chapel, built here in 1600 by monks from Patmos and named after the rare icon of the Virgin Mary, which does not hold Christ in her arms as is customary, but Jesus Crucified. This is a unique depiction of the lamentation of the Mother of God, while equally unique is the miracle that takes place here every year, on August 23, which the church celebrates. According to testimonies, in April 1943, in the midst of the Occupation, a young girl placed white lilies on the icon of the Virgin Mary, which, as was natural and expected, withered over the days. Three months later, in July 1943, some visitors noticed that the dried lilies had begun to green up and come back to life, and on August 23, they already had new buds. It is said that this miracle is repeated every year at the same time.
