The miraculous icon of Agios Charalambos was repatriated a few days ago to Maroneia Rhodope, after 110 years of “refugee”, in an atmosphere of emotion from the residents.

The icon of Agios Charalambos returned to Maroneia, just as it left 110 years ago – by sea, with a ship of the coast guard. When it was approaching the port of Agios Charalambos, in the maritime area of ​​Maroneia, in an atmosphere of excitement and celebration, the ship was accompanied by local fishing boats.

Military honors were paid to the icon of the Saint, while the official reception took place in the square of Maroneia. The icon was painted by the Metropolitan of Piraeus, Mr. Seraphim, who helped to locate and repatriate her, while she was welcomed by the Metropolitan of Maroneia and Komotini, the Metropolitans of Xanthi and Alexandroupoli, the state authorities of the place and a crowd of people.

The “uprooting” of the image

The inhabitants ran to save themselves, frightened by the fear of the Bulgarian occupation, grabbed some of their belongings and boarded the destroyer “Averof”, looking for new homelands, in Thassos, Kavala, Volos and Piraeus. With them they also took wrapped the old cedar icon of their patron saint, Agios Charalambos, which since 1866 had been in the homonymous church built in his honor in the settlement, giving his name to the ancient port of Agios Charalambos in Maroneia Sapon.

The inhabitants of Maroneia were saved. They disembarked from port to port with their families. But the miraculous image was forgotten in the holds of the battleship.

“On August 6, 1913, the heroic battleship Averof sailed off the coast of Maroneia and the inhabitants gathered in the area of ​​the current port and boarded the battleship, taking with them the icon of Agios Charalambos from the chapel of the same name. In their sadness, however, they left the image of Agios Pano on the ship” tells APE-MBE the businessman of the area, historical analyst Thodoros Pervanas.

The icon traveled well protected and arrived in Piraeus.

“The captain of Averof, when he arrived in Piraeus, took the icon and took it to the church of the Holy Trinity. The information of the relocation of the image was left to the Maronetes, who settled in Piraeus. The fact that the effort to return began is due to the old native Maronites, such as Toulis Konstantinidis who remembered the story in detail about the hardships experienced by the refugees, as well as my grandfather Theodoros Pervanas who told me that “I entered a boat only once in my life, when I was four months old. They took us with Averov because the Bulgarians would slaughter us…”. I feel lucky that our ancestors, who have passed away but passed on the responsibility, entrusted me with this story,” Thodoros Pervanas says to APE-MPE with emotion.

The stay in Piraeus

The icon was given in 1913 to the Church of the Holy Trinity in Piraeus, which was located opposite the port.

It remained there until 1944, when during the allied bombing against the Nazi fleet in Piraeus, the temple was completely destroyed. However, the icon of Agios Charalambos and the icon of the Holy Trinity were saved unharmed, which were transferred to the then small church of Agios Fanourios in Drapetsona.

As Maroneia-Sapon mayor Dinos Haritopoulos reported to APE-MEP, “the return of the holy icon of Saint Charalambous was achieved with the support of the former President of the Republic Prokopis Pavlopoulos, who during his visit on January 10, 2020 to Maroneia, was informed about the matter and contacted the Metropolitan of Piraeus where his contribution was ultimately decisive. The repatriation of the icon, after 110 years, is also due to the sensitivity, tireless dedication and efforts of the Metropolitan of Maroneia and Komotini, Mr. Panteleimonas, who put up a strong fight, as well as with the contribution of the Member of Parliament of Rodopi, Evripides Stylianides and our fellow resident, Theodoros Pervanas” concluded the mayor.