THE
APPEARANCE OF SAINT PARASKEVI TO NUN
CHRISTONYMPHI
During the time of the civil war in
Greece 1946-1950 between the communists and the government of Greece the
communist guerrillas would often come down from the mountains, hide in the bush
near the Monastery of St. Paraskevi looking for food. The cell of nun Christonymphi was located on
the ground floor of the Monastery.
Nearby there were four or five other cells of other nuns. There was also a dining room and a large room
whose walls were filled with icons. This
room was being used as a Church by the nuns.
The sisterhood of nuns would gather in this room at midnight to read the
monastic midnight service. After the
service the nuns would rest for a while and then wake up early in the morning
to chant the matins service. Nun
Christonymphi usually would go to the Church which was some distance from the
monastic cells and light the kandylia (votive lights).