Founded by Saint Paisios, the nunnery of John the Apostle is a place where you can touch a miracle.
In the long train of attractions, there are special places in Greece where people come not just to admire the architecture or to touch history. One of them is the nunnery of the Saint John the Apostle. It is located near the village of Souroti, which location is 30 km from Thessaloniki. It has great importance for the Orthodox around the world. There are several sacred places on the territory of the monastery, promising miracles.
The history of the monastery in Souroti
The name of the elder Paisios is known for every Orthodox person far beyond Greece. For the Greeks themselves, he became one of the most significant personalities of the 20th century. Conversations with him returned faith to people, and Paisios's ability to reveal the truth and exhaustively answer exciting questions forces people to overcome hundreds of kilometers to meet him personally. Reverence for Paisios of Mount Athos only grows stronger in the course of time. His canonization took place in 2016, and many prophecies and miracles found their confirmation. In the sixties of the XX century, women approached the elder Paisios of Mount Athos. Their single request was helping them to found a monastery with strict regulations.
Soon, Paisios, the confessor found a place for building and received a blessing from the local bishop. This place was the village of Souroti, where in 1967 the first nuns were settled. A lot of work was done, it was necessary to build not only a temple and buildings, but also to build the roads, to lay on water supply and to cut in electricity. After all the works had been done, Paisios left Athos for a couple of months. Moved to Souroti, he helped to establish the life of the monastery not only in small common questions, but also in spiritual issues.
Since then, Paisios had been regularly visiting to the monastery until his death. He did not interrupt the connection with the monastery founded by him. He was writing letters to nuns, inquiring about matters or giving mentoring advice. Paisios had been visiting to Souroti twice a year, and this event was not advertised. However, streams of people flowed to him in the hope of getting answers to the exciting questions or the blessing of the elder were endless.
According to will of Paisios, after his death he was buried here, in the monastery of John the Apostle. If his tomb had been on Athos, the nuns and laity would have been deprived of the opportunity to visit to the burial place of the saint. Even during the life of the elder, his conversations with pilgrims were written by the nuns, and then published in books in the form of dialogues. Those who happened to know Saint Paisios personally inhabit the monastery until now.
Monastery of John the Apostle today
The monastery is located on a hill. Its domain is not limited to monastic buildings, but includes also olive groves. Today there are several places on the territory of the monastery that are of interest to a believer. Many come here to visit the grave of St. Paisios. Here they pray, touch the cross, put candles, ask for blessings and leave notes. If a miracle happens, and the prayers bring the result, they return and write thankful notes. Some pilgrims take a handful of the ground with them. If you plan a visit to the monastery, it is worth remembering that there is usually a queue near the grave of the saint.
Another important shrine is the main monastery temple, made in the style of post-Byzantine architecture. It stores the relics of the Monk Arsenios the Cappadocian. In 1924 the monk baptized the baby Arsenios Eznepidis, who became the elder Paisios later. It was through the efforts of St. Paisios that the relics of the Monk John the Apostle were transferred. If the big cathedral is closed for a visit, you can worship the relics in the lower chapel. Here is stored a particle of relics.
Peaceful atmosphere of the nunnery’s surroundings
The monastery has an extensive library, where anyone can read books about the elder Paisios. There are variants in many languages. For women, there is an opportunity to stay at the monastery for a few days, penetrate the spiritual life, and relax from the bustling world. Greek women come to Souroti for the weekend. In addition, there is a church-shop selling books, icons and olive oil made by nuns.
In the monastery courtyard there is an observation deck, from where you can admire the wonderful views of the surrounding countryside. You can see the olive groves and villages, and Souroti itself, as well as the outlines of the city of Thessaloniki. The entire territory of the monastery is decorated with flowerbeds and is buried in verdure. The nuns maintain an ideal order and take care of the garden. They meet pilgrims in the best traditions of hospitality, borrowed from Athos, as the elder did himself. They cook coffee for guests and treat them with rahat lokum.
The visit to the monastery of St. John the Apostle can be combined with a trip to another revered monastery, consecrated in honor of the Great Martyr Anastasia, as well as a visit to the picturesque village of Vasilika.
