By Archimandrite Timotheos Kalaberidis
I came to the Monastery in October 1952, at the age of 55. The following year – specifically on September 2, 1953 – the Translation of the Sacred Relics of Saint Nektarios took place.
The translation, as it was decided in the summer, took place after dusk. It would have been 8-9, it was basically night. We had no electricity. We worked with lamps with petrol oil. Everyone, all around, with lit candles and lamps. At the beginning, the service was read. After we took out the holy relics, we placed them in basins. We washed them with rosewater and other perfumes. Some relics had the cloth stuck to them. We cleaned them. We did a Pannychida and placed them in the church for veneration. The fragrance that emitted all around cannot be described. What a thing that was! Amazing! We placed them in the middle of the church, the skull and the rest of the relics. We also put there the hierarchal miter, the staff and the dikirion and trikirion. People passed by and kissed them with emotion. The Bishop told me and Father Amphilochios Makris to take care of the decorum of the relics.
On the night of the translation, a group of people were coming from Athens and going to Agia Marina to party. When they reached the bridge of the Holy Apostles, a lady was the first to smell the fragrance. They continued on their way. They arrived at Agia Marina. The fragrance followed them. There she asked and learned how the translation was being done. She then gave up everything and set sail for the Monastery. She knelt in front of the holy relics, took off her expensive necklace and placed it on them. She confessed to Father Demetrios Lykouris, the rector of Kypseli who was here. Of course, her whole life changed for the better.
Source: From the book I TALKED WITH SAINT NEKTARIOS by Manolis Melinos. Translation by John Sanidopoulos.
