On the Greek Island of Rhodes in the Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Ialysoss, there is an icon of significant importance.
It is the wonderworking icon of St.Michael the Archangel. It’s been weeping tears since discovered at the old cemetery chapel within Ialysoss village of November of 2013. After being examined by the Metropolitan Kyrillos and confirmed authentic, they moved it to the Church of the Assumption.
When I first heard the story, I was amazed. Many years later, both this icon and I would meet again only this time I wouldn’t know about it. In the summer of 2018, I took a holiday to the Island of Rhodes with my wife and two sons. We decided on the village of Ialysoss, not by choice but because it was the most affordable. Little did we know, God had chosen this village for us.
Being an existing fan of the Orthodox churches and their architecture, I was eager to pay the local Orthodox Church in the village a visit. The next morning I did just that. Upon arrival, I took the photo above of the miraculous icon. I had no clue it was the icon at all until I got home and uploaded the pictures to social media. My friend, who lives there revealed the origin of the image.
While I may look at this as a strange supernatural phenomenon, the inhabitants of Greece do not share the same enthusiasm. In local tradition, a weeping icon is a bad omen. Whenever an Icon streams tears, this means some unfortunate malady will afflict the island of Greece itself.
Have you heard of this icon or visited it? Let us know in the comments.
PAX
