The Missing Right Hand of Saint John the Russian Found and Returned After 100 Years

The sacred relic of St. John the Russian with its missing right hand replaced with a golden effigy.

The year 2024 marks the 100th anniversary since the relics of Saint John the Russian were brought from Prokopi of Cappadocia to New Prokopi in Evia, by refugees who did not want to leave their beloved Saint behind. On Wednesday, May 15th 2024, in celebration of the 100th anniversary, Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Halkidos revealed to the faithful that the missing right hand of Saint John the Russian, which was considered lost for decades, has been found. He also revealed that on the feast of the Saint, Monday the 27th of May, the right hand would be reunited with the incorrupt body of the Saint.

It appears that a portion of the right palm and fingers of the Saint were kept by a family from Cappadocia for 100 years. This family today, who are two siblings of the third generation that descended from the original owners from Cappadocia, decided with the 100th anniversary of the arrival of the relics of the Saint to Evia, to return it where it came from for a reunion with the body of the Saint, at the prompting of their spiritual father. Despite the personal loss of the relic, and the miracles they have witnessed through it, they attended the event of the reunion and knew it was the right decision. Up until now, a golden effigy of a right hand has been used as a replacement.

History of the Return of the Relics of Hosios Loukas from Venice to His Monastery in 1986

The sacred relics of the Venerable and God-bearing Luke, known more popularly as Hosios Loukas, which were treasured in the magnificent katholikon of his eponymous Monastery until 1460, due to the occupation of the Boeotian land by the Turks, were transferred by the Hosioloukaite monks of the Monastery to Lefkada. From there, due to the arrival of the Turks in Lefkada, they were transported to Bosnia by the rulers of Bosnia, who bought them from the Turks thinking they were the relics of Luke the Evangelist, since there had been confusion between the two saints bearing the same name.