LOCATION OF THE MONASTERY
The holy Monastery of Damasta is dedicated to the “Natal
day of Virgin Mary” and celebrates every eight of September (08/09).
It is located in the north
mountainsides of Kallidromos and it is 740 meters above sea
level. It is also at 23
kilometers distance from the capital of the prefecture
Fthiotida – the historical city of Lamia .
The Monastery is located to the most
wonderful place which makes it a spectacular balcony to the plain of Sperchios,
which lay between mountain Iti and Orthi and towards Maliakos bay.
DATE OF CREATION OF THE MONASTERY
Unfortunately there has not been saved
any documentary evidence for the exact date of the creation of the monastery.
According to the architectural shape of the catholic, archeologically is
established around 1680 a .C.
NAMING OF THE MONASTERY
There are two
versions for its name.
TRADITION
The tradition wants the naming of the Monastery to become from the place of descent
of the wonder-working Icon of Virgin Mary.
It is said that the
Icon has been arrived from the city
of Damaskos (of Syria ) during the War of Icons (726-843 a .C.).
During this period terrible persecutions have been made by the Iconoclasts.
Many iconolaters have been sought for shelter into safer places of the mainland
of Greece ,
carrying with them the wonder-working Icon
of Virgin Mary. One of the icons has been also hosted here to the
mountainsides of Kallidromos. At first it has been named as “Virgin
the Damaska”. With the passing of time and the corruption of the word has
resulted in the new name “Damasta”.
ETYMOLOGICAL
ANALYSIS
Another
possible version of the naming of the Monastery
becomes from the etymological analysis of the word.
The word “Damasta”
derives from the greek verb “damazo” ( which means bring to heel, subdue). The Icon of Virgin Mary has taken
the title tamer for her numerous miracles. She is the Tamer of the human pain, of the sterility and other diseases. With
the passing of time has gone down in history as the “Monastery of Damasta”.
NATIONAL OFFER OF THE MONASTERY
a) During Greek War of Independence of 1821
The “Monastery of Damasta” has been an heroic and martyric rampart for
the revolutionaries of Fthiotida
during the spring of the year 1821. Great figures of Greek History that had become
legends, have given vows for the liberation of their country in front of the Icon of Virgin Mary.
The camp of the war chief of Alamana, Athanasios Diakos, the chieftain Panourgias and the Bishop of Salona, Isaia had its seat at the “Monastery of Damasta”- which considering its position - constitute
a natural observation post on whatever happens to the east side of the plain of
Sperchios. It was the rampart for many chieftains, among them Diovouniotis. When Panourgias was injured, he took refuge in the Monastery having with
him 400 men and in his possession the Chalkomata. Here also under the shadow of
the Monastery passed away the heroic
Bishop of Salona, Isaia screaming “Virgin Damasta save at least my country”. In the battle of Alamana the Father Superior Neofytos and the monks
stood by the side of Athanasios Diakos. They were about 15-25 persons
which have fought with great courage, according to local tradition. Most of
them had been killed in battles. Later at 1834 the Monastery had been dissolved because it did not gather the
requisite number of monks ( at least 6).
The Monastery of Damasta had been the shelter of the miserable Greek
people and also the center of the army.
b) The offer of the monastery during the years 1940-1944
The contribution of the Monastery has been great for the
support of the Greek people and the allies. The winter of the years 1941-1942
they took refuge in the Monastery 12
allies soldiers of New
Zealand . The Father Superior Evlogios
Morfis offered them shelter and food for days, until they escaped by the port of Stilida .
His offer has been punished by the
conquerors. The Italians soldiers went to the Monastery at January of 1942 and found the arms and the ammunitions
of the allies. They arrested him and send him to jail “Averof” for two years.
After the end of the war the Minister
of the government of New Zealand
send a letter of thanks as a sign of gratitude.
Father
Superior Evlogios after being
discharged from prison returned to the monastery of Damasta until 1953. Later
this year, the Monastery changed
into Nunnery, with Kassiani
Andriotou as the Mother Superior and six more sisters.
(The letter of
thanks by New Zealand
to the Monastery.
THE DISSOLUTION OF THE MONASTERY
The Royal Decree of the King
Othona at 25 September of 1833 dissolved many monasteries of Greece .
According to it the monasteries that did not have more than six (6) monks had
to be abolished. Their property also had to be devolved to the Greek
government. After the Greek War of Independance the monks which returned were
very little. The “Monastery of Damasta”
was one of the most destroyed, which could not touch the requisite number of
monks, as is by law enacted. Many protests have been made by neighbouring municipalities
to the King Othona. Unfortunately none of them had been heard by the powerful Royal Secretariat. The whole Supervision was confided to the Municipality of Iteoi .
THE RE-ESTABLISHMENT OF THE MONASTERY
The grace of Virgin Mary would not
let the monastery un-helped.
The Presidential Decree of 3rd
August 1934 - signed by the President of Greek Republic Alexandros Zaimis and
the Minister of Education John Makropoulos - offered the opportunity for the “re-establishment of the Monastery”.
Until then it was fused to the Monastery Antinitsi.
Father
Superior was the archimandrite
Kirillos Konstantinidis named by the Ecumenical Synod. By this way the
monastery took life again and managed to create a small in number fraternity.
In 1936 the Father Superior Kirillos has been replaced by
the Archimandite Evlogios Leonidas
Morfis who begun his monastic life in the Mount Athos .
( A
picture of the Monastery in the old days. It also represents the Metropolite Amvrosios of Fthiotida)
DESCRIPTION OF THE CATHOLIC OF THE MONASTERY
ARCHITECTURAL CONSTRUCTION
The catholic of the Monastery is
dedicated to the Birth of Virgin Mary. The exact date of its construction
cannot been defined with certainty since we do not have any written testimony.
Although we estimate, according to its architectural construction, that its
establishment dates from 1680
a . C.
The monastery has the type of
cruciform with dome, having its west part of the cross elongated, in order that
the building takes the shape of Royal Cross with dome.
Above the side apartments, instead of
groined-vault, exist blinds vaults that can be distinguished only by the inside
of the Monastery.
(The catholic of the Monastery of Damasta)
WALL PAINTING
The first narrative must be put around
the period of the construction. The Monastery had been destroyed, so as its
first iconography.
The second one has
been made on the eve of the Greek War of Independence of 1821 as shown on the
carved remembrance above the main entrance of the Monastery.
“THE PRESENT HOLY
AND DIVINE CHURCH OF THE HOLY AND DIVINE MONASTERY OF VIRGIN MARY IS
HISTORIATED BY THE CONTRIBUTION OF
MISTER CAPTAIN JOHN DIOVOUNIOTIS AND UNDER THE PRELACY OF THE BISHOP OF ZITOUNI,
MISTER THEOPHANOUS AT 1818, 15 DECEMBER, MADE BY THE HAND OF GEORGIOS”
By the narration
of hagiographer Georgios, are saved the murals of aerials and of the dome. The
rest of the murals were destroyed by humidity and they were re-painted by the hagiographer
Apostolidis in 1913, as it reveals the sign on a window at the north side of the
Temple .
«THE WHOLE
HAGIOGRAPHY WAS REPAIRED - HISTORIATED AS ANCIENT TYPE - EXCEPT FROM THE DOME IN
YEAR 1913 WITH THE CARE OF MAYOR IRAKLIOU MISTER GRITZA
OF ABBOT THEOFILOS SKAFTOURAS AND CHURCH-WARDEN
GEORGIOS GIOTOPOULOS, LOUKAS GEORGIOU AND ACHILEOS ANAGNOSTOY BY THE HAND OF
APOSTOLIDIS»
The temple is
woodcut with elaborate representations. Its pictures have been historiated by the
Abbey Paraklitou of Oropos / Attiki as also as the mural in vestibutle. The miraculous Icon of Virgin Mary is found in
marble-made
icon-stand. The casing of the Icon is
silvered of 19th century, according to the sign existing at the left
bottom of the Icon and is dated from
19th century (1892).
(To woodcut temple of catholic. At the left, the Icon of Virgin Mary of Damasta).
CHAPELS
A) Inside the precinct
of Monastery
·
Saint and Avowed Ilarionos (celebrates 21 of October)
·
Saint Ioanis of Damaskos (celebrates 4 of December)
·
Saint Dimitrios of Miroblitos (celebrates 26 of October)
·
Saint Kassianos of Rome (celebrates
29 of February)
·
Saint Konstantinos and Helen (celebrate 21 of May)
V) Outside of Monastery
As we are leaving the direction of
Amfissa and we are going in the direction of the Monastery we see the chapel of
Sacred-Virgin-Martyr Paraskevi. According to tradition here the Turks arrested Athanasios
Diakos.
(woodcut temple at the chapel of Saint Dimitrios)
(woodcut temple at the chapel of Saint
Konstantinos and Helen)
THE MIRACLES OF VIRGIN MARY OF DAMASTA
The miracles of Virgin Mary are numerous. We will report two typicals:
v In the city of Itea , a grand mother was bearing
up her own cross. Her wedded son had a non-christened girl. The parents
of child became martyres of Jehovah and abandoned the sick child in the grand
mother. When she was five years old her condition aggravated. The grand mother
and the little girl went to the hospital of Amfissa .
The doctors claimed that the child was already dead. The grand mother insisted on
making her autopsy, in order to detect the cause of her death. The doctors said
that only at the hospital
of Lamia was that
possible. So the grand mother took the decision to take her there. As soon as
they reached the carrefour that leads to the Monastery of Damasta, the grand
mother remembered that it was 8 September and that they celebrate Her
Grace. She said to the driver to go
first at the Monastery for kneeling in worship for Her. The police officers did not allow her to reach the Monastery. So
grand mother went out of the taxi and begged in her knees, with
teardrops in her eyes, Virgin Mary to make her miracle, and bring back to life her granddaughter.
No more than two hundred meters, the little girl opened her eyes and began to
shout "Grand mother, grand mother the Virgin
Mary keeps me from the hand ". The
little girl had been brought back in life. The parents of child as soon as they
were informed of the miracle, returned back, held their child in their arms and
returned in the bosom of Orthodoxy.
Finally the parents baptized their child at the Monastery of Damasta.
vTypicals are also the miracles of Virgin Mary for hop less
mothers that after many years, managed to have child. But also in serious
illnesses the Virgin Mary appeared and offered them healing
and asked them to visit and kneel in worship for Her.
Mosaic above the
gate of Monastery
Mosaic of Angels
at the entry of Monastery
Mosaic in the
interior side of the gate of Monastery
Mosaic in the
springs
of
the yard
«The Icon of Birthday of Virgin Mary» Wall-painting in the porch of Catholic.