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Monastery of St John the Forerunner
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Participation fees: Arrivals: Volos, 1 August 2001, by 15.00.
Further information: APPLICATION FORMS Send your application before 20 June 2001 to:
Manos Koumbarelis Basic Daily Programme
05.00 Waking up - Midnight Office - Matins
Wednesday 1 August
Thursday 2 August
Friday 3 August
Saturday 4 August
Sunday 5 August
Monday 6 August (Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord)
Tuesday 7 August
Wednesday 8 August
Thursday 9 August
Friday 10 August
On behalf of the organizers The Holy Monastery of St. John the Forerunner in Alatoli, Ayia, Greece St. Damianos, the founder of the Monastery was born in 1512. He was possibly born in the village Richovo of "the second Thessaly" as the region of Larissa was known at that time. From a very young age he goes to Mount Athos, to the Monastery of Philotheou, where he lives an ascetic life for three years near St. Dometios. After that, called by God, he comes to Larissa, to teach its inhabitants the Orthodox Faith and helps them to resist the yoke of the Turks. Fairly quickly he is banished from there and he takes refuge on mount Kissavos, from there he is banished to Agrafa. There follows a third banishment and derision and the saint comes back to Kissavos, teaching this time on the other side of Mount Ossa (Kissavos). In 1550, at a height of 1050 m he builds the Holy Monastery of St. John the Forerunner, four kilometres from the village of Anatoli, Ayia. This Holy Monastery was one of the most flourishing monasteries of east Thessaly during the 16th century, where many monks lived out their monastic life. St. Damianos stays in the Monastery of St. John for some years living a coenobitic life. Later he lives the life of an ascetic in a cave, which lies at a distance of about 3 kms from the Monastery, but continues to teach and to catechize the people. St. Damianos, in his efforts to teach in the surrounding regions, goes to Voulgarini, is caught by the Turks, who beat him and torture him every day, but he remains unmovable in his faith. The 14th of February 1568 he is condemned to a martyr's death: first they hang him, then they burn his corps and finally they throw his ashes in the Pinios river. His memory is honored on the 14th February. The Monastery was dissolved in 1889 and from then on the community of Anatoli look after it, seeing that it is kept in as good a condition as possible, they also appoint priests to live in and look after it. This happens until about seventy years ago. In 1981 monks from Mount Athos began to build a new building near the old one, but unfortunately the community was dissolved in 1985. The Monastery remained deserted until 2000, when a community of women monastics took possession of it. Since then, the restoration work and the reviving of the Monastery have progressed at a remarkable pace. Two kilometers before arriving at the village of Anatoli there is a "metochion" (Monastery dependent) dedicated to St. Panteleimon, with wall paintings from the 17th century. In Anatoli one can also visit the church of St. George, the church museum, where a special collection of post-Byzantine icons are kept. Other churches of interest are the church of St. Nicolas from the 18th century, with two layers of wall paintings; the single aisled church of St. Athanassios from the 16th century, with special wall paintings, and the church of the Holy Trinity from the 17th century with a stone roof. Finally, one may visit the church of the Dormition of the Mother of God, which is built on the foundations of an older church. Its building dates from the 17th century and its wall paintings date from the 19th century. |