This highly-venerated icon of the Annunciation was discovered
in the ruins of the ancient church of Saint John the Baptist on January
30, 1823.
An elderly man, Michael Polyzoes, had a dream shortly
before the Feast of the Annunciation in 1821, in which the Mother of God
appeared to him in shining white garments. She instructed him to dig in
the field of Anthony Doxaras outside the city, where he would find her
icon. She also told him to build a church on the site, since there had
once been one there. The Queen of Heaven also promised to help him
accomplish these tasks.
Upon awakening, he crossed himself and
tried to go back to sleep, believing that his dream had been a
temptation from the devil. Before falling asleep, Michael saw the
Theotokos once again, and noticed that the room was flooded by a gentle
white light. Her head was surrounded by divine light, and her face
displayed ineffable grace and sweetness. Speaking to the old man she
said, “Why are you afraid? Your fear comes from unbelief. Listen! I am
Panagia (the all-holy one). I want you to dig in the field of Anthony
Doxaras where my icon is buried. I ask you to do this as a favor, old
man. You will build a church there and I will help you.” Then she
disappeared.
The next morning, Michael went into the village and
told the priest what had happened to him during the night. The priest
also thought the dream was a temptation, so he urged Michael to come for
Confession and Communion. The old man, however, was not convinced that
his visions were mere dreams or demonic temptations. He told the
inhabitants of the village of his experience. Some laughed at him, but
only two believed his words.
The two men went with him to the
field one night and dug in many places, but they found nothing. Then
they dug in another place and found the remains of an old wall. Finding
nothing but bricks, they had to give up their search in the morning so
the Turks would not find out what they were doing.
Anthony
Doxaras, the owner of the field, found the bricks and tried to use them
to build an oven. The mortar would not adhere to the bricks, so whenever
they tried to build one section of the oven, it collapsed. The workers
were convinced that God was showing them that the bricks from the
ancient church were not to be used for an oven.
Saint Pelagia
(July 23), an eighty-year-old nun, had several dreams in June of 1822 in
which the Most Holy Theotokos appeared to her. Saint Pelagia was living
in the women’s monastery of the Dormition on Mt. Kechrovounios, about
an hour’s journey from the village. She had lived in the monastery from a
young age, and was known for her great virtue and piety.
The
Theotokos appeared to her in a dream and ordered her to go to Stamatelos
Kangades (a prominent man of the village), and tell him to uncover the
church of Saint John the Baptist in the field of Anthony Doxaras.
Terrified
by the vision, Pelagia attributed the dream to her imagination, and she
began to pray. She was afraid to tell anyone about her dream, but the
following week, the Theotokos appeared to her again, reminding her of
her instructions. Still, the nun remained silent and told no one of her
vision. The Theotokos appeared a third time, this time with a severe
manner. She chastised the nun for her unbelief, saying, “Go and do as I
told you. Be obedient.”
Saint Pelagia woke up in fear and
trembling. As she opened her eyes, she saw the same mysterious Woman she
had seen while asleep. With a great effort she asked, “Who are you,
Lady? Why are you angry with me, and why do you order me to do these
things?”
The Woman raised her hand and said, “Proclaim, O earth,
glad tidings of great joy” (Megalynarion of the Ninth Ode of the Canon
for Matins of the Annunciation).
Understanding at last, the aged
nun joyfully exclaimed, “Praise, O heavens, the glory of God” (The next
line of the Megalynarion).
At once, she informed the Abbess of her
visions, and she also told Stamatelos Kangades. Mr. Kangades, who had
been designated by the Theotokos to carry out the excavation of the
church, informed Bishop Gabriel of these events. The bishop had already
heard of the dream of Michael Polyzoes, and realized that the account of
the nun Pelagia agreed with his vision. Bishop Gabriel wrote to all the
churches on the island of Tinos, urging them to cooperate in finding
the church and the icon.
Excavations began in September of 1822
under the supervision of Mr. Kangades. The foundations of the church of
Saint John, destroyed by Arabs in 1200, were uncovered. An old well was
found near the church, but not the holy icon. The money ran out, and so
the effort was abandoned.
Once again the Mother of God appeared
to Saint Pelagia, urging that the excavations continue. Bishop Gabriel
sent out an appeal for donations to build a new church on the
foundations of the old church of Saint John the Baptist. The new church
was built, and was dedicated to Saint John and to the Life-Giving
Fountain.
On January 30, 1823 workers were leveling the ground
inside the church in preparation for laying a new stone floor. About
noon one of the workers, Emmanuel Matsos, struck a piece of wood with
his pickaxe, splitting it down the middle. He looked at one piece of the
board and saw that it was burned on one side, while the other side
showed traces of paint. As he brushed off the dirt with his hand, he saw
that it was an icon. Joining the two pieces of wood together, he
crossed himself and venerated the icon.
He called the other
workers, who also came and venerated the icon. When the icon was
cleaned, it was shown to be an icon of the Annunciation. The split was
in the middle of the icon, between the Theotokos and the Archangel
Gabriel. Neither figure was damaged, and this was regarded as a miracle.
That same day, the icon was given to Bishop Gabriel, who kissed
it and cried out, “Great art Thou, O Lord, and wondrous are Thy works.”
After
the finding of the icon, the inabitants of Tinos were filled with zeal
to build a magnificent church in honor of the Theotokos. People offered
their money and their own labor to help build the church of the
Evangelistria (She who received the Good News).
The new church was
completed in 1823, and was consecrated by Bishop Gabriel. Saint Pelagia
of Tinos fell asleep in the Lord on April 28, 1834. Her Feast Day,
however, is on July 23.
The Tinos Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos
continues to be venerated as one of Greece’s holiest treasures.
Innumerable miracles of healing and deliverance from danger have not
ceased since the time the icon was found.
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