There are almost no saints whose miraculous deeds of love are talked about as much as Saint Nectarios the Wonderworker of Aegina. The feast of his remembrance is always a good opportunity to remember some of the countless miraculous healings. We cite probably the most famous example of his miracles – the healing of also a holy man, Elder Nectarios (Vitalis), who built a temple for him in Kamariza, since Saint Nectarios healed him from the most severe form of lung cancer.
According to the book “Saint Nectarios – an earthly angel, a heavenly man”, the old man Nektarije testified about this miracle as follows:
I fell ill with a severe form of cancer. The entire front of my chest was one big wound, from which, without interruption, blood and pus flowed. I tore my shirts in pain! I was going straight to death. Imagine, I had already prepared everything for that …
On the morning of March 26, 1980, the door to the church opened, which was temporarily in the basement because a temple was still being built upstairs. I was there with the housekeeper Sofia Burdos and the painter Elena Kitrakis. An old man, small and bald, came in. He just had a little hair on the back of his head. His beard was completely white. It’s like watching Saint Nectarios from a photograph. He took three candles and left no money. He lit two of them. He bowed to all the icons on the iconostasis. And, he passed by the icon of Saint Nectarios, without bowing to it! I didn’t show myself. I was in terrible pain and I was behind the curtain, in the priest’s room. I just pulled the curtain back a little to see him. He stopped on the alley, in front of the Imperial Doors. Crossing his arms, he asked, looking neither left nor right, “Is the old man here?” And the housekeeper, trying to “protect” me, so that foreign people would not bother me, answered: “He is not here, he is at home. He has the flu. ” “It does not matter. “Wish him a happy Easter,” he said and left.
The housekeeper came to me and said to me: “Father Nectarios, this old man, who just left, looks a lot like Saint Nectarios! Sparks flickered from his eyes! It seems to me that he is truly a saint and that he came to help you …! ” I thought she was telling me that just to comfort me. I thanked her. However, it was as if “something” was telling me that she was right. I sent her to go and find him, and to ask him to come back. Both the housekeeper Sofia and Mrs. Eleni went to bring him. I slowly got out and entered the altar. All in tears, I embraced the Crucifixion and applied it to my chest. I begged Him.
At that moment, I heard them coming. Housekeeper Sofia called me: “Father, the old man has come.” I stepped out of the altar. I approached them. I wanted to kiss his hand. He wouldn’t let me, but he kissed my hand. I asked him, “What’s your name?” “Anastasios!” I was all chills when I personally heard the baptized name of Saint Nectarios from him! …
I instructed him to worship the holy relics. He pulled out a pair of small metal glasses, which were missing one handle. As soon as we saw them, we were amazed because they were the same glasses we kept in the display case, under the glass! The nun Nectaria gave them to me. And he put them on and said, “Faith, my child, faith is everything!”
He began to kiss the holy relics with great respect and piety, and the housekeeper explained to him whose relics they were. But, in addition to all the particles, the relics of Saint Nectarios he passed without any interest! It seemed to me that it was not nice, so I told him: “Old man, I’m sorry, and Saint Nectarios is a miracle worker! Why don’t you kiss him? ” He just smiled significantly.
Going to the last display case, which contains the Saint’s icon painted by his nephew, Anastasios Kefalas, he asked me: “How is Anastasios? Is he good? Did he come back from Paris? ” I answered yes, even though I didn’t know it. Just not to make him sad! He seemed pleased.
Then I asked him, “Where do you live, old man?” He pointed to the ceiling, where the temple was still being built at the time, and said: “My house is not finished yet, so I’m worried! And the position doesn’t allow me to live here, there! … ”
“ Old man (I confessed to him then), the housekeeper told you I had the flu. She lied! I have cancer. And I would like to get well, just to finish this work. I would like to finish the Holy Altar, to complete the first Divine Liturgy, so I can die! Death doesn’t scare me! ”
“Don’t worry about anything. It’s a temptation, “he told me.
He began to prepare to leave. He passed by his large icon, not paying attention to it. And I, daring, during the conversation, raised my hands to caress his face, and said to him, deeply touched: “My dear old man, your face looks so much like the face of Saint Nectarios!”
Then two tears rolled from his eyes, and he overshadowed me with a cross. He hugged me around both shoulders and kissed me. And I, feeling deep shock and joy, at the same time, immediately spread my arms to squeeze him into my arms. But as soon as I extended them out, even though I saw him in front of me, my hands “hugged” the void!
I shivered, trembled, and, as I crossed myself, I turned to him again: “My dear old man, please, I would like to live longer, I would like to serve the first Liturgy upstairs, in the new church. Help me please”.
He then turned away from me, started to walk away and stopped in front of his icon. And I, as if only then “my eyes were opened” (Luke 24:31), I felt shaken to the bottom of my soul, looking at him now, at his icon! He immediately said to me: “Oh, my child, Nectarios, do not grieve. It’s just a temptation. You will recover! A miracle will happen and it will be heard all over the world! ” And, then he disappeared before our eyes, and the door was closed and did not open again!
The women ran to catch up with him. They saw him at the bus stop. He got on the bus to Lavrion. Many saw him enter! But if he … came out, no one saw! He disappeared on the bus!
Two and a half months have passed, on June 2, I went with our Metropolitan Agathonik to the Agios Savas Hospital, because of my case. He talked warmly about me with the doctor, Mr. Papaconstantin. And the doctor – after a detailed examination and numerous examinations – said to the bishop: “Reverend, there is no need for you to ask me, nor for me to ask professors and other doctors. Because, in this case, the only ones who can do something are the two of them: Saint Nectarios and Father Nectarios! ”
However, I prayed persistently, asking Saint Nectarios – my personal doctor – to heal me. There, among lancets, needles, scalpels and other surgical instruments, on the operating table, under strong lamps, among doctors, nurses, I knocked loudly, with both hands, on the “door” of St. Nectarios, shouting to myself and begging . And, a miracle happened!
At 12:45, the professor came out, visibly excited, and told the gathered: “You can be calm! Take Father Nectarios out of here and take him to his church to continue his work, where he left off, because a great miracle happened here! ”
At that time, our Metropolitan, the President of the Municipality of South Attica, Nikitas Koveos, the manager of the hospital and many others stood before him. And, professor, with a big envelope in his hands – with all the results and reports of specialists, etc. he said to me: “Father Nectarios, you have conquered death! Take this envelope and take it to Saint Nectarios, your protector, who is your doctor and who healed you! This envelope belongs to him. You don’t have cancer anymore!”
What happened – we do not know. Go, and I wish you all the best. Can you imagine what happened next? …
We took that file and went to Kamariza. The bells rang. People knelt in praise. I raised my hands to Heaven and said: “My God, the first and great thanks belong to You, the saints, and especially to Saint Nectarios. And another big thank you to the blessed people who prayed incessantly with faith. ” Indeed, his prayer helped me a lot.
I asked that the bells stop ringing and that both wings of the temple door be opened wide: “Help me. Now it’s my turn! I will go, as far as I know, to the Saint’s icon to thank him. I will fulfill my vow. “
I barely made it there. I called him from afar, crying with joy: “Saint Nectarios, come out to be proud of your child! Come out and see this “diploma” – an envelope with medical documentation – that you gave me and healed me! It belongs to you! ” People in the church were sobbing. The next day, Fr. Nicodemus Anagnostus, today’s Metropolitan of Jerisos, and Fr. Agathonius Faturos, the current Metropolitan of Kitros came. They served the hymn together with other clergy and laity dear to me …
Thank you for these truly beautiful words and story. My dear father kept His icon in his truck with all the prayers and so truly believed, as I do too. Thank you ♥️