By the care of the Virgin Mary, this is the second time we worship the holy icon of the Iviron Monastery, Mount Athos. After the miraculous and myrrh streaming replica from Hawaii, we now receive with joy right from the Iviron Monastery, with the blessing of the abbot, the copy of the icon painted by St. Luke the Evangelist, the Mother of God Portaitissa.
We are waiting for you in our church for worship and prayers before the miraculous icon:
Friday, September 20, 7 pm – Holy Unction
Saturday, September 21, 7 pm- Vespers with Lithany and Akathist
Sunday, September 22, 12 pm – Holy Liturgy and Memorial

The icon of the Virgin Mary from the Iviron Monastery, known worldwide under the name of “Portarita”, is the most beloved and honest icon in the Holy Mount Athos. The icon of the Virgin Mary Portarita is in the small chapel, on the left, as soon as it enters the yard.

The Iviron Monastery is located in the northeastern part of Mount Athos, on the shores of the Aegean Sea, and was built by the Georgian kings until 972, when the documents already mention it. Monastery built by Georgians (iviriti), Iviron is today under the leadership of the Greeks. The great church of the monastery is dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin.
The monastery will be destroyed by French pirates, in 1259, and then again, at the command of the Byzantine emperor Michael VIII the Paleologist, because the inhabitants here were opposed to the union with the West. The last destruction of the monastery took place in the fourteenth century, when the Catalans ransacked the place. Iviron Monastery is the third in the Athonite hierarchy, after the Sea Lavra and Vatoped monasteries.

The godly rulers of the Romanian Country essentially supported the life of the Iviron Monastery, among them, the documents commemorating Neagoe Basarb, Radu Mihnea and Matei Basarab. The ruler Serban Cantacuzino is the one who founded, in 1680, the paraclis where the most precious scent of the monastery is preserved, namely the icon of the Virgin Mary Portaitissa.

Icon of the Virgin Mary from the Iviron Monastery – Portarita – “Portaitissa”

The miraculous icon of the  Mother of God, called “Portaitissa”, is in the chapel at the gate of the Iviron Monastery, as you enter the courtyard, on the left side. According to the Athonite tradition, this icon came alone, by sea, from Byzantium – Niceea.

It is said that at the time of the persecution of the icons – the iconoclasm – he lived in Niceea of Asia Little a faithful widow, who had only one son. She kept this icon of the Virgin Mary in her house with great godliness. At a check made by the emperor’s envoys, they found the icon and said threateningly to the widow: “Give us money to get rid of your icon, otherwise we will fulfill the commandments!”. Then the woman gave them a lot of money, to give her a break until the next day.

At night she took her son and the icon and they went to shore. The woman removed the icon from the house and went with her to the seashore and said, “Mother of the Lord, I can no longer appear to you. Master of the world, you, as the Mother of God, have dominion over the whole building. You can you also rescue us from the anger of the masters and your icon of the deep sea”, and put it on the water. And the icon came, wonderfully – right, on the water, without sinking – to the Mount Athos.

The widow was caressed by this sight and thanked the Most High and her son said, “My child, our desire for the Mother of God is already fulfilled. I am ready to die for my faith, through the hands of the tyrants, if I have to, but I do not wish for your death either. Please and I beg you to go to the parts of Greece. “

The son listened to her and left for Thessalonica, then went on to the Holy Mount Athos, in that place where, after a few years, the Iviron Monastery was erected. There he became a monk, and after living in God’s favor, he moved to the eternal. Mountain the history of the icon that, along with his mother, had thrown into the sea.

After years and years, when near the Saint Iviron Monastery was built, the monks saw in a night above the waves a pillar of fire that reached to the sky. In front of the views out of the ordinary, they remained motionless and sang. The vision continued for several nights, until monks from other monasteries gathered there on the shore. Then they saw that pillar of fire spring from an icon of the Virgin Mary, and when the parents wanted to approach the boat, the icon was removed. They returned to the monastery church and prayed with faith and tears to the icon of their monastery.

There was then in the Iviron Monastery a hieromonah by the name of Gavriil, who in the summer months lived a little above the monastery, in need and harsh posture, like an earthly angel. He was shown the Most Holy Birth of God and told Him

“Tell the abbot and brothers that I want to give them my icon to cover and help them, then go into the sea and ride on the waves, and then they will all know my goodwill towards the monastery.”

Then all the monks came to the shore where Gavriil walked on the sea as on land and he was entrusted to take in his hands this heavy and large icon, painted on wood. On the shore, the monks worshiped the icon with godliness and great joy. Then with scales they took her to the holy altar of the monastery church.

The next day, however, the icon was not found in the church! Looking for it, they found it on the monastery wall, above the central gate. They brought her to the church, but again they found her at the gate. This unusual thing happened several times, until the confusion of the monks was unleashed by the Most Holy, who appeared in a dream to the egumenabboture, and to hope in the mercy of my Son and Master of all living monks with godliness and fear of God in this virtuous mountain. but I have asked of him, and behold, I give you a sign: as long as you see my icon in this monastery, the grace and mercy of God will not fail you. “

The monks enjoyed all this and then built a chapel near the monastery gate, where they placed this miracle icon, which is in this place until today. Due to this happening, the icon was given the name “Portaitissa”.

The icon is a large one, it is 1.30 x 1.90 meters. The icon is enchanted, except for the girls, with gold and silver clothing, with precious stones, gold coins and many other ornaments given by emperors, kings, abbots, dukes, officers and simple believers. These gifts are evidence of the wonders of the Presidency. They offered to the Virgin Mary those who received what they asked for from her.

It was prophesied, by the parents, that at the end of the world, this icon will go to sea, as it came. Also, it is said that when the woman enters the Holy Mountain, the icon will leave the monastery, nobody knowing where to take it.

Icon of the Virgin Mary from the Iviron Monastery – Portaitissa – miracles

One of the joys that this icon of the prayers has made is the following: a young pilgrim, not receiving bread from the cook, received from the Mother of the Lord a yellow, to give to the cook. The cook, realizing where the yellow was, fell down.

As for the bread in the monastery, another miracle happened here: when the monastery did not dine at the feast, for fear of hunger, because they did not have enough supplies, then millions of ants began to eat the wheat from the barn. In remembrance of this miracle, repenting before God, the monks took their canon of love to put daily, at the door of the monastery, a wooden crate, with bread, available to all pilgrims crossing the threshold.

The oil from the candle of this holy icon is the cure for the poison

The icon depicts a wound healed by the chin, stemming from a spell hit by a pirate, when Arabs came to the Holy Mountain. An Arab soldier hit the knife in the face of this icon, and blood began to flow. The Arab seeing the miracle, became frightened and fell to the ground, repented, baptized in the Christian law and dressed in the monastic robe, remaining there until death. Not wanting to receive a monk’s name, he asked for the deed to be named Varvar – Barbarian. After that he led a holy life, for which he was recognized as a saint. In the church is painted on the wall St. Varvar, with pirate clothing.

In 1651, the Mother of the Lord Portaitissa will cure the daughter of the Tsar Alexei Mihailovici of Russia. The girl was paralyzed and had no chance of doctors. In the dream, the girl appeared to the Mother of the Lord Portaitissa, who told her to worship her icon. The Czar asked the Ecumenical Patriarchate for an icon from Iviron. The monks painted a faithful copy of the icon and gave it to the Czar. This icon, the copy, was brought before the paralyzed girl who, by worshiping her, was healed.