CONVENT OF ST ANTHIMOS & ST PARASKEVI AT LEPEDA

A Convent that has been unfortunately left unstaffed follwing the death of Holy Nun Ermioni who served for almost a century. The original Monastery on Lepeda Beach was founded in 1687 by its first Abbot Laurentios Mantzavinos. The devout monk with his followers built the cave's entrance where the icon of St. Paraskevi was found and they turned it to a church during the reign of Bishop Timotheos Typaldos. The great earthquake in 1766 destroyed the Monastery. In 1769, monk Anthimos Kourouklis restored the Monastery and turned it to a Convent. The blind monk Anthimos was born in Cephalonia in 1727. He started his monastic life in Mt Athos and he visited many holy places in Greece. He lived in St Matronas Monastery in Chios where according to legend, he would sleep on the church floor. He is believed to have been a missionary in the Cyclades and Dodecanese Islands because during his passage from these islands people benefitted significantly from his sermons.

Under Mother Superior Anthimi Paschali, who served for 44 years (1892-1936) - the Convent went through its golden era. She gathered twenty God-loving souls and benefitted spiritually the Convent and the area by advising advising and supporting financially and spiritually devout people, often showing them the way to monastic life.

She was a charismatic visionary.
In 1953 the earthquake destroyed the Convent as well as the Cave's chapel. The current chapel and the small two-story building are post-earthquake constructions. Besides the destroyed cave, the only remaining pre-earthquake remain is the Convent's old gate which is currently being restored. In the church one may pay respects to the miraculous icon of St. Paraskevi.

The Convent holds two annualcelebrations :
a) on July 26th, feast day of St Paraskevi
b) on September 4th, feast day of St. Anthimos, under the auspices of St Gerasimos Convent , since it is a metochion of the larger Convent and because it is no longer staffed.

May God through the blessing of St. Anthimos lead virtuous nuns to this blessed place to serve this holy place of worship on the island.

Convent's telephone: 06710 91690