The Appearance of Saint Kosmas Aitolos to a Woman in Arnaia on July 23, 1943

Saint Kosmas Aitolos visited Arnaia and Halkidiki in 1775.
The reminiscence of this go to continues to be alive at this time within the consciousness of the native Christians. Monuments to the passage of the Saint are the shrine below the Mathitiki Estia and the icon which data the prophecy of the Saint for the liberation of Arnaia. Since then, the Saint positioned the realm of Holomontos below his blessing.

“The aprons of Holomontos shall be with out blood. They will fall asleep as slaves and within the morning they are going to get up free.”

The prophecy was fulfilled, and in 1912 Arnaia was freed “with out blood”, in keeping with the prophecy of the Saint.

On July 23, 1943, the Bulgarians entered Arnaia. The Germans handed over Halkidiki to the Bulgarians. The folks of Halkidiki have been upset as a result of the Bulgarians had already dedicated the crimes in Drama and Kavala. The Bulgarians meant to enter Mount Athos and there can be nice destruction. So on that day when the Bulgarians entered, Saint Kosmas appeared in Gompelos, in a location close to the Monastery.He appeared to a religious Christian, Susanna Trikaliotis, spouse of Vasilios who had three women and a boy. Her husband had been captured by the Bulgarians whereas he was working within the woods in North Macedonia and was being held hostage in Belles.

Susana had gone to her backyard, the place she had grown potatoes. It was nonetheless night time when she left to go there. After working, whereas she was prepared to depart, she noticed a lightweight. She went in the direction of the sunshine and noticed a monk sitting with white hair.

“Oh, what an previous man he’s!” she stated.

“Come, do not be afraid,” he stated to her. “I’m Saint Kosmas. Today the Bulgarians entered Arnaia. Do not be afraid, I’ll defend you, you’ll not endure something, the Bulgarians and different nations will go by, they won’t hurt you.”

He was sitting below a chestnut tree and had a cloak that had blue material and purple crosses on all 4 sides.

Then he gave her piece of antidron. Susanna requested him for some for her youngsters as properly, and he answered her:

“Antidron on your youngsters one can find on the highest shelf of the hearth at residence.” And he disappeared.

Indeed, when Susanna descended from Gompelos, the Bulgarians have been coming into Arnaia from Stanos. When she went to her home, she discovered 4 items of antidron for her youngsters on the hearth.

The Saint appeared repeatedly to Susanna. Once he requested her to do a Liturgy.

She took her neighbor, Tasa Xistrou, they usually carried out a “sleepless Liturgy” as they are saying in Arnaia. They made prosphoron the entire night time and within the morning they went to the church and the Divine Liturgy was held.

In one in all his appearances, the Saint requested Susanna to make a small shrine and light-weight a lamp within the place the place she met him. She went on daily basis with out the guards taking discover of her. At that point, Arnaia was surrounded by barbed wire and to be able to exit one needed to get permission from the police after which go the guards who have been guarding it. She would exit, are available, they usually did not see her. Not even the rebels who have been on the mountains bothered her. In one other look he predicted the discharge of her husband.

“In two months, your husband will return.”

In 1952, the Saint requested for a chapel to be constructed within the place the place he appeared to her. Susanna, accompanied by the trainer Chrysi Karamichou, went to Metropolitan Kyprianos and reported to him the order of the Saint. But he did not consider them. At night time, the Saint appeared to him and terrified him. In the morning he ordered the bells to ring. The folks gathered at Saint Stephen’s and he instructed them that they needed to go as much as Gompelos and construct a chapel to Saint Kosmas within the place of his apparition. The Metropolitan and Constantine Neratzias went and agreed on the right way to construct the little church.During the archbishopric of Metropolitan Kyprianos, he established the reminiscence of Saint Kosmas to be celebrated each Bright Tuesday, nevertheless it was abolished in 1960.

With the blessing of the late Metropolitan Nikodemos, lately he’s celebrated on July twenty third on the place of apparition and on August 24 on the Holy Monastery with extra grandeur. In the earlier story we add the non-public testimonies of the daughters of Susanna – Maria, Kyriaki and Magdalena – who additionally added the next:

“When our mom got here residence and located the antidron on the hearth, she began shouting and crossed herself. Aunt Panagiota Xistrou, who lived above us, got here down and requested her if something was fallacious. She instructed her what occurred and confirmed her the antidron. In the meantime, she additionally woke us up, who have been nonetheless sleeping.

Every Sunday night time she went to the backyard and watered, then she got here and woke us up, dressed us and we went to church. On that Sunday, she gave us the antidron of Saint Kosmas and we didn’t go to church. She was very upset. Where the church is in Panagouda, the Germans have been standing and asking for IDs. She would go by they usually did not ask for her ID.

“Come, come, go on by, my girl,” they referred to as her.

Other instances they did not see her in any respect as if she was invisible. Not even the rebels who have been transferring round there noticed her.

“You will go there to that tree and one can find an icon of me. You will take it, put an oil lamp and light-weight it,” the Saint instructed her.

“Go all the way down to the market to see the foot of the companion who stepped on my icon. It is reduce from beneath.”

The chapel was inbuilt 1952. The icon of the Saint was then taken and with a litany on foot dropped at the chapel.

In 1999, Metropolitan Nikodemos established the Monastery of Saint Kosmas at this place. Haralambos Bousias composed a Divine Office to have fun this look in 2014.