Theotokos Portaitissa

Holy Monastery of Iviron

If the miraculous icons of Mount Athos are associated with the protection of the monasteries from raids or other dangers, with the material supply or moral and spiritual support of the monks, with the repulsion of raiders or the sanctification of blasphemers, Portaitissa is simultaneously associated with all of these. Finally, it is connected with the protection of the entire Mount Athos, because there is tradition, according to which Mount Athos will be preserved, as long as Portaitissa exists in its place.

῎If she disappears, Mount Athos will be destroyed.

This miraculous icon belonged to a virtuous and wealthy widow, who lived with her son in Nicaea on Minor Asia. During the period of iconoclasm, when emissaries of the emperor Theophilos (829-892) roamed around to find and destroy the holy icons kept by the faithful, the emperor's representatives found its existence in a small church. Then they proposed to its possessor to give her money, so that they would not destroy the icon and torture her.

She was willing to give money, but as she did not have that time, she asked for a postponement until the next day. When the envoys left and night fell, she went with her son to the small church, where she kept the icon, and after a long prayer she carried it to the beach and put it in the sea.

Surprisingly the holy icon did not fall to the bottom, but stood upright in the water and was driven to the West. During the period that followed, the widow's son went to Thessaloniki and then to Mount Athos. There he became a monk in the Monastery of the Iviron, where he told the story of his family heirloom, and died.

Several years later the monks of the Holy Monastery of the Iviron saw a pillar of fire on the sea, rising to the sky. This phenomenon continued for several days and nights causing astonishment and admiration. Then monks from various monasteries entered in to the sea with ship and saw the icon. But the closer they got, the further away the icon became. That is why they gathered in the Church and begged the Lord to give them the precious treasure.

Then the Holy  Virgin Mary appeared in a dream to the venerable monk Gabriel, who was ascetic on the mountain above the Monastery, told him to inform the superior monk and the other monks of her intention to give them her icon and urged him to walk across the sea and receive.

Indeed, the next day all the monks of the monastery went out to the beach with prayers, candles and incense, the monk Gabriel walked on the sea and took the holy icon. ῞When he brought it ashore, they performed thanksgiving prayers for three days and nights, and then transferred the icon to the katholikon, main  Church of the Monastery and placed it on the holy Step. The next day the icon was not found in its place, but on the wall above the gate of the Monastery, from where it was taken back to its place.

But the same was repeated other times, until finally the Holy Virgin Mary appeared again in the monk Gabriel's sleep and told him not to disturb her, because she did not come to be protected from them, but to protect them herself, not only in the present but also in the next life.

Then the monks built a chapel near the gate of the Monastery, where they placed the miraculous icon. ῎Since then it remains there and is called Portaitissa, while the gate of the monastery was moved to another place.

Of the numerous miracles associated with this icon, we note the annihilation of raiders who wanted to destroy the monastery. Fifteen of their warships were destroyed by a violent storm, while their only surviving leader Amiros, devastated, offered abundant gold and silver for the better fortification of the monastery.

When once the flour of the monastery ran out, it filled their warehouse. When they again lacked wine, he overfilled their vessels with delicious and delicious wine, while at other times he increased their oil and legumes.

The face of the Theotokos in this icon is stern and majestic. She is the Mother of the just and infallible Judge. Under Her right jaw is a bleeding wound, caused by the sword of the pirate Rahai. When he struck the icon, blood sprang from the wound.

This made the pirate to repent and remain there for the rest of his life as a monk named Damascene. He actually considered himself unworthy to bear that name, and wanted to be called a Barbarian. On the Tuesday of Diakainissimo, the day on which the icon came out of the sea, a solemn Divine Liturgy is celebrated in the Seaside Church, where the holy water spring  is also present.