The Finding of the Holy Icon of Panagia Eleousa (Our Lady of Mercy) in Xyniada, Domokos

The first appearance of the Theotokos to Athanasios Syros
The terrible earthquakes that shook Thessaly on the 30th of April, 1954 A.D., the day of the Life-Giving Spring, remained unforgettable to the older inhabitants of the region. That day remained especially unforgettable for the inhabitants of the village of Xyniada, and even more so for the little Athanasios Syros, who saw the Most Holy Theotokos with his own eyes.

Athanasios Nikolaou Syros, then eight years old, was playing on the mountainside with other children on a Friday afternoon when he saw before him a barefoot woman dressed in black making prostrations. And although the ground at that spot was dry, with the prostrations that this unknown woman in black made, it became soft and sank like dough. At the three spots where this unknown woman venerated, the ground began to give off a sweet fragrance.

Then little Athanasios said to the other children: «Children, look at that old woman making prostrations». He called her an old woman because she wore black clothes, as nearly all the old women in the villages do. But none of the other children could see her. Then the children ran to their fellow villagers and reported what Athanasios said he had seen, whereupon they too hurried to verify the event.

Indeed, Athanasios repeated that he saw the unknown woman making prostrations in the same place. But they could not make out anything, and they kept insistently asking him to tell them exactly where he saw the woman in black. Although little Athanasios repeated the same thing, they could not see anything. They only smelled the sweet fragrance that came from the spot where the little child said he saw the unknown woman in black making prostrations.

The second appearance of the Panagia in the sleep of Athanasios
That same night the unknown woman made her appearance in the sleep of little Athanasios, who was sleeping beside his parents and his other siblings. This time she has a radiant crown upon her head, and the little one, a little frightened, asks her: «Grandmother, who are you? And what do you want from me? I am afraid!». And then the woman in black says to him: «Do not be afraid, my little one; I am the mother of the little Christ whom you love so much, and He sent me to reveal to you, who have a pure heart and a spotless soul, that at the middle spot where you saw me making my mark, there you must dig and you will find my Icon. Let that spot become a place of worship, let a church be built there, a holy place». With these words, the Panagia vanished from little Athanasios.

In the morning Athanasios began to recount to his family in every detail the second appearance of the Theotokos, and he begged them to dig where the Panagia had shown him.

The reactions of the villagers
Unfortunately, the reactions of the villagers were not favorable toward little Athanasios. No one could believe that everything he told them was true, and many times they scolded him and drove him away with insulting words! But that is always what people who do not believe do. They did much the same to the Lord, who said: «Blessed shall you be when they insult you and persecute you and say every evil thing against you....... Rejoice then and be glad, for your reward will be great in the heavens». (Matt. 5:11-12)

Yet all these reactions of the villagers could not shake Athanasios. He gathered stones and built by himself a little chapel at the spot the Panagia had shown him. There he placed a small icon of the Panagia; he went every day, morning and evening, lit her little lamp, and said his prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos. To his continual pleas that they dig where the Panagia had told him, a few of his fellow villagers eventually responded. But the efforts were isolated and without any result.

Eight years passed, and the indifference of the inhabitants was halted by a deadly illness that struck the animals of the village. They now began to think seriously that perhaps the sickness of their «livestock» was a punishment from God for the disbelief they had shown toward the words of Athanasios. They began to offer supplications to the Theotokos to forgive them and to deliver them from the evil that had befallen them. Thus the dying of the animals became the occasion for the villagers to return to God.

The finding of the Holy Icon of the Panagia
At the beginning of June in the year 1962 A.D., an excavating machine came to Xyniada to open up the village roads. The inhabitants then begged the operator, once he had finished the road works, to take the trouble also to dig at the place where Athanasios said the Panagia had shown him her icon was to be found. The operator of the machine, however, whose name was Ilias Saltas and who came from the village of Stavros near Lamia, did not want to dig and even reacted violently to the persistent pleas of the villagers.

Then another man from Lamia intervened, Spyros Chouliaras, an employee of the Ministry of Finance, who had heard from his mother about the appearances of the Panagia. Mr. Chouliaras, perceiving the operator's resistance, called a meeting of the community authorities, namely the village president, the schoolteacher, the priest, the police authorities, and the parish council, and they all went together and begged the operator, whom in the end they persuaded.

The machine began to dig and to remove earth at the indicated spot, and everyone gathered, waiting anxiously. After the first excavation the operator attempts a second, without result. He begins to curse and attempts a third time, again without result. The machine had stopped. Then the policeman who was near the spot sees, beside the blade of the machine, near the root of a holm oak, the icon of the Panagia.

What happened at that moment cannot be described. All those who were there fell down, knelt, and venerated the Holy Icon of the Panagia, and with tears in their eyes they asked for Her Grace. Some ran and rang the bell to notify the other inhabitants who were in the fields. Others ran and embraced Athanasios, now sixteen years old, and asked him to forgive them for their irreverence and disbelief. The operator of the machine fell down weeping and venerated the icon and begged the Theotokos to forgive him. It is even said that, taking refuge in the Grace of the Panagia with fervent faith, he was healed of a stomach ailment that had tormented him until then.

The Wonder-Working Icon of the Most Gracious Lady
The wonder-working icon of the Panagia lay hidden at a depth of one and a half meters for centuries. It is small in size and bears the inscription «Mother of God, the Merciful One». In the opinion of experts, the icon is said to belong to the era of Iconoclasm. Yet it was preserved within the earth for so many centuries without suffering any harm. When the grace of God wills it, the corruptible becomes incorrupt and the mortal immortal.

Today the icon of the «Panagia Eleousa» has been covered with silver and gold and has been placed in a beautiful shrine. The votive offerings of the afflicted faithful who come to receive Her grace have adorned the entire surface of the icon.

The katholikon and the cells
The devout pilgrims offered whatever each one could so that, at first, a small chapel might be built to serve the spiritual needs of the faithful who took refuge in the Most Gracious Lady. The chapel was built, and at the root of the holm oak, where the Icon was found, the Holy Altar was placed.

This small church, however, later did not meet the needs of the ever-increasing pilgrims. For this reason, the late Metropolitan Damaskinos of Phthiotis, in November of 1965 A.D., laid the foundation stone for a larger church, which, with the contributions of the faithful pilgrims, was completed in August of 1966 A.D. Father Athanasios, as he now was, secured through his personal efforts the complete furnishing of the church. He so loved this work that a magnificent monastery came to be built. Frescoes were made on the dome and on the walls of the church. On the eastern side of the monastery, the Abbot's quarters and several cells were built.

Consecration of the Holy Church
The day set for the consecration was the 21st of June, 1972 A.D., that is, the same day on which the wonder-working icon had been found. On the 21st of June the Great Vespers was celebrated by the then protosyngellos and later Metropolitan Agathonikos, formerly of Mesogaia and Lavreotiki. On the following day the late Metropolitan Damaskinos of Phthiotis magnificently celebrated the consecration, accompanied by a multitude of priests and in the presence of a great crowd of faithful.

The Holy Shrine celebrates twice a year: on the day of the finding of the icon, that is, the 21st of June, and on the 15th of August, the day of the Dormition of the Theotokos.

THE MIRACLES OF THE THEOTOKOS

Healing of a possessed woman
Lemonia Kokkini, from the village of Agrapidia, Domokos, in the year 1963 A.D., became possessed at mealtime. The demon constantly tormented her and she could find no peace. Her parents, in despair, after running to many doctors, dedicated her to the Panagia Eleousa. The girl did not speak but only uttered inarticulate cries. During the All-Night Vigil a change was noticed in her behavior, and within a few days the girl attained complete calm. The event became known throughout the whole region, and the faithful hastened to the wonder-working icon to give thanks to the Theotokos. (Newspaper Ethnikos Agon of Lamia, 3 January 1963 A.D.).

Healing of a blind man
From the village of Xyniada, Domokos, the son of Vaios Polymeros, named Stavros, was struck blind at suppertime. His parents, speechless at what had befallen him, placed their hopes in God. They snatched up their blind son and took him to our Most Gracious Panagia. A Supplicatory Service was held, and toward the end of the Service the boy's sight returned. The parents, wishing to thank the Panagia, dedicated to the Monastery the courtyard gate of the enclosure.

The greatest gift of Heaven
Two childless couples from Karditsa, Mr. and Mrs. Giannakos and Mr. and Mrs. Kafetzis, begged our Panagia to grant them children. They asked the Abbot of the Monastery to hold a Supplicatory Service to the Panagia. The Abbot, blessing them, told them that the Most Gracious Lady would work Her miracle. The following year the two couples, holding their little children in their arms, came to the Panagia to thank Her and to baptize them. From then until today, more than one thousand five hundred couples have asked for Her help, have had children, and have baptized them at the Monastery.

She saved Her Monastery from fire
Several years ago, a certain pilgrim left a candle burning inside the church. The Abbot, forgetting the lit candle, locked the church. As the candle burned, it reached the point where it was fastened to the candle stand and fell down, with the result that the carpet began to burn. At midnight, at the hour of sleep, the Abbot heard knocking at the window and a voice telling him: «Wake up, the church is burning». He immediately ran to the church, struggled alone, and put out the fire without seeing any person beside him. It was the Most Gracious Lady who alerted the Abbot and saved the Monastery from a certain fire. The burnt carpet still exists.

A bird guided them
Pilgrims from Athens heard of the finding of the icon and decided to visit and venerate it. Reaching the 22nd kilometer past Lamia, they did not know which way to go. Then, amid the driver's despair, a black bird appeared in front of the bus, which showed him the way to the Holy Monastery, right up to the courtyard gate of the enclosure. Then the bird vanished. All the pilgrims attributed the miracle to the Panagia and confess it to this day.

The All-Night Vigil that brought the miracle
From Ampelia, Farsala, two couples came to Her Grace to hold an All-Night Vigil. The first couple showed on their child's cheek an incision that reached down to the mouth. The doctors' diagnosis was cancer. The faithful parents brought the child to the monastery for an All-Night Vigil. While the child was sleeping, it was healed. Waking in the morning, his mother saw that the incision had gone.

The second couple, from the same village, had a little girl who was deaf and mute. Her mother prayed continually to the Panagia and finally, in despair, said: «My Panagia, either give it its voice or take it, for I cannot bear to see it suffer».

The Panagia worked her miracle and the little girl spoke. The first word she said was «mama».

Incurable illness
Panagiota Psychogiou from Agia Paraskevi, Lokris, now a resident of Athens, confesses the miracle of the Panagia who healed her of cancer.

Chanting from Heaven
The wonder-working icon was found in 1962 A.D. The church began to be built in 1965 A.D. To the north of it a temporary shack with three rooms had been built. In one lived the Abbot, in the other the builders, and in the third the Wonder-Working Icon had been placed together with all the sacred vessels. During the night the builders heard noises, censers, and chanting coming from the place where the Panagia was. They became very frightened and wanted to leave before the building of the church was finished. The Abbot reassured them and told them not to be afraid, because the chanting came from the Most Gracious Lady. Thus their faith was strengthened and they remained until the completion of the Holy Church.

Always near Her children
An inhabitant of Karditsa told the Abbot that for three nights a woman dressed in black would take him and leave him outside a great door. The third time he found the courage and asked her about the place where she was leaving him, and She answered him, «at the Holy Monastery of the Panagia Eleousa of Xyniada, Domokos».

The Panagia's care for the Monastery
Entering through the Central Gate of the Church, on the right-hand side, within a grille, the Holy Icon is kept for reasons of safety. Due to a lack of money, there was no door on the grille. Then the Panagia appeared to Mr. Karachalios, a resident of Lamia, and asked him to go and make the door. Astonished, Mr. Karachalios asked to learn where the monastery was, and She answered him, «at the Holy Monastery of the Panagia Eleousa of Xyniada, Domokos».

Note: The above texts were based on the book of Archimandrite Panteleimon Poulos, preacher of the Holy Archdiocese of Athens, «Holy Monastery of Panagia Eleousa».
The miracles were recorded by the theologian Dr. Sofia Tsangali from the accounts of the Abbot and the pilgrims, on the 18th of August, 1998.
To this day, countless more miracles have taken place.

Apolytikion
Tone 1. As a citizen of the wilderness.
Your divine Icon, O Eleousa, All-Immaculate One, hidden beneath the earth, you wondrously revealed; therefore the pious of Xyniada, falling before it with all reverence, reap the gifts of your grace, and with longing we cry out to you: glory to your wonders, O Pure One, glory to your goodness, glory to your provident care for us, O Lady. (three times)

Kontakion
Tone 2. Seeking the heights.
Having established a spiritual feast of your divine Icon, we hymn your grace, O Virgin, and from our soul, O Theotokos, we cry out to you: You are the refuge of the faithful.

Megalynarion
The village of Xyniada truly rejoices in your venerable Icon, O Maiden, and running to it, it ever receives strength and mercy and grace, faithfully glorifying you.

The Oikos
O you who bore God in the flesh, you appeared to the innocent child, O Immaculate One, visibly in a repeated vision, in black raiment as you were pleased to do, and through him you made known to us all the Icon hidden beneath the earth; and having found it in its own due time, we have hymned, O Virgin, the compassion of your love and your great provident care for us, and still we hymn it, and we shall not cease to hymn it with praising mouth; and falling before your holy Icon, we cry out in compunction of soul: This village, which by the finding of your form you made radiant and sanctified, shelter and preserve and keep unharmed from every distress, ever granting to it the gifts of your protection, for you are the refuge of the faithful.

Kathisma
Tone 4. Come quickly.
Brighter than the sun, your protection shines forth, O All-Blameless One, in our village, and it dissolves all the gloom of manifold passions, and most swiftly makes vanish the frenzy of the demons stirred up against us; therefore, O you who are graced by God, as is our debt we glorify you.