Ι.Μ.Χ.

HOLY PILGRIMAGE OF SAINT JOHN THE RUSSIAN

The Holy Church of Saint John the Russian in Neo Prokopio of Euboea operates as a Pilgrimage under the direct supervision of the Holy Metropolis of Chalkida.

This pious institution is managed by a five-member Administrative Board, consisting of the Metropolitan of Chalkida as President, one Cleric from the Holy Metropolis of Chalkida, and three distinguished citizens as members, appointed by His Eminence the Metropolitan.

The Holy Pilgrimage performs an extremely important spiritual and social mission. Without exaggeration, it is an oasis that refreshes and revitalizes the pilgrims, who live daily in the noisy desert of modern indifference.

The grace of the holy relic fills the faithful, comforts and calms their hearts with resurrection hope, cultivating thoughts and the disposition for repentance.

The devout Holy Services, especially the Divine Liturgy, strengthen their prayerful disposition and eagerness to approach and partake of the Holy Communion, truly communing with God and being freed from anxious concerns, joyfully entrusting their lives into His hands. The example of the saint teaches them to bear the Cross, face the trials of life patiently, choose the virtuous life, the adventurous and martyrly path of freedom and sanctity, instead of earthly pleasures and transient happiness. Furthermore, in the Holy Confessional of the Pilgrimage, the arriving tired sinner is liberated from the heavy burden of sins and guilt, restoring communion with God, fellow human beings, and themselves.

Following the pattern of faithfulness, humility, and the exaltation of the saint, the confessor, the martyr, one is gently freed, if they have the courage and strength of spiritual senses, from the fascination accompanying the myth of the perfect self, and fully surrendered, casts their existence and the despair of the soul into the sea of Divine Mercy...!!!

Apart from spiritual rest, the pilgrim’s weary body also rests in the modern and very comfortable guesthouse.

It is very old, yet human, the Church’s position to provide bodily rest to those it wishes to benefit spiritually.

This guesthouse was founded in 1977 and inaugurated in 1989 by the late Metropolitan of Chalkida, Kyr Chrysostomos A (Vergis).

It has a capacity of 160 beds and includes, besides the bedrooms, lecture and conference rooms, a Museum, dining rooms, and other auxiliary facilities.

Until today, it has hosted Clerical Conferences, Pan-Orthodox Meetings under the aegis of the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece addressing heresies and para-religious groups, as well as liturgical symposia and events.

Moreover, the Holy Pilgrimage, apart from the above, performs other significant charitable works.

It significantly supports the welfare work of the Holy Metropolis. It financially aids the operation of all its Charitable Institutions and has been, and continues to be, the main source of funding for a major and costly ecclesiastical project: the construction and operation of the camping facilities in the coastal area "Taxiarches" Ilion, over 46 acres, hosting 800 children annually in six camping periods.

It also supports many cases of poor students, patients, and other needy people, oversees the publication of scientific works and other useful books, and ensures the study and execution of public-benefit projects in the area of the Municipal District of Prokopio, while already beginning the transformation of the old Pilgrimage Guesthouse into a MUSEUM SPACE OF ASIA MINOR CULTURE.

The pilgrim, leaving the Holy Pilgrimage of Saint John, returns “home” renewed and transformed, like the holy Apostles from Mount Tabor, to continue with new strength the invisible war in everyday asphalt reality, and, through the saint’s intercessions, achieve a victorious outcome.

Clerical Head:

Protopresbyter Ioannis Markou

Priests:

Oikonomos Dimitrios Stamoulos

Oikonomos Nikolaos Markou

Oikonomos Ioannis Gkekas

Postal Address:

Holy Pilgrimage of Saint John the Russian - 340 04 Neo Prokopio

Phones:

Church: 22270. 41209

Guesthouse: 22270. 41462

Fax: 22270. 41308