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ELDER PORPHYRIOS

Testimonies and Experiences

 

Elder Porphyrios as I knew him


 

 


 

Fr. Michael Michael

Priest-in-charge, Holy Trinity Church, Limassol, Theologian

 

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I met the great Elder for the first time on 21 February 1986. My second son was born prematurely on that day, at eight months instead of the usual nine. He had a serious breathing problem. At the time I was living with my family in Athens where I studied theology. 

I immediately ran to Elder Porphyrios, about whom I had heard many, many amazing things. I asked him to intercede to God for me, to solve my son's problem. When I entered the room where the Elder could be found lying down, I was infinitely moved. I felt as if I found myself before a holy man who really lived according to God's will.

I told the Elder my problem and he immediately told me, "Go and find the doctors this minute, and tell them to keep giving oxygen to your child, and not to stop. Your child will become well anyway. Nothing will happen to him at all."

I returned to Athens immediately. I went to the hospital where my child was. I found the head nurse and I asked her to continue giving oxygen to my child. Her answer was: "That is our business. We know how long we should give oxygen to the child and when we should stop."

I left the head nurse's office. I went up to the first floor of the hospital. I found the gynaecologist who performed the delivery. I asked for my child to continue to be given oxygen. His reply was, "That's the head nurse's responsibility."

After that I went home. At 12:30 at night, I was told to go to the hospital immediately because my child's condition was very serious. There they informed me that my child had suffered a haemorrhage in the lungs and the doctors could not do anything. It was because they removed the oxygen from the child despite my telling them to do precisely the opposite.

My relatives rushed to the hospital. They brought a priest in. We baptized the baby in the air and we gave him the name Stylianos.

Then the second miracle happened. From that moment my child became completely well. The second thing the Elder said would happen, happened. "Your child will become completely well. Nothing at all will happen to him."

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Article published in English on: 3-4-2009.

Last Update: 3-4-2009.

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