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The Greek island of Kefalonia (Kefalonia) has become a place of mass healing of the mentally ill after 1953, when a strong earthquake destroyed all its cities and most of the villages. On the psyche of people this natural disaster also affected the most destructive way. Fortunately, most of the victims were able to help here. Church of St. Gerasimos of Kefalonia. Now this place is a real mecca for people suffering from mental illness.
Kefallinia is the largest island of the Ionian Sea. it the most beautiful land and homeland of brave sailors, and now also center of unusual pilgrimage. A lot of people come here with hope for a miracle of healing, which Saint Gerasim can do Kefalonia is the protector and patron saint of the island.
Church of St. Gerasimus is located in a small, overgrown with olives. a valley that is high cliffs cut off from the sea. Next to her a nunnery is located, founded by the saint himself at the end of his life (XVI century). Most of the time in this place you can see only the nuns and those patients who throughout the year live here in tents. But twice a year people come here from entire island and continent: these are accompanied by relatives sufferers and just pilgrims. This happens on October 20 when Kefalonia is officially celebrated as St. Gerasim’s Day, and 16 August – the day of his commemoration.
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On the eve of each holiday, a glass crab in which lies the body of the saint, vertically set in the main monastery churches. People walk past her all night, kissing glass at hand level St. Gerasimus. The next day, a procession takes place, during which cancer with relics is carried by patients lying on the ground. it It helps to drive demons out of the unfortunate and restore their mind. Some of the obsessed behave very violently, cursing the church and rushing to the clergy. These have to be connected. However that the moment when the cancer is next to the madman, he freezes and how as if calming down. As soon as the procession passes – and the madman again begins to run amok.
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It is believed that every case of miraculous healing accompanied by some unexpected event, such as in a church the glass breaks, they start flashing furiously, or, conversely, sharply the candles go out. Sometimes the demons themselves warn that means: they give up. In this case, you can hear the evil spirit says he will come out of man, but put out the holy fire. Are available evidence, as once at the time of healing on a huge plane tree, planted by the saint himself, a large branch broke off.
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The people of Kefallinia believe that the devil speaks through the lips of the possessed, possessing the gift of prophecy. There is a case when some the woman scoffed at the mentally ill. In response, he pointed to her young daughter and promised that soon the woman herself would ask St. Gerasimos about the healing of his child. So it soon and happened.
… It’s not exactly known why people had the belief that this the saint helps to heal from mental illness. But good it is known that shortly after Gerasim passed away, a certain a woman possessed by an evil spirit fell into the saint’s well. Her succeeded save thanks to the fact that Gerasim appeared in a dream to one nun and reported this accident. When the woman was already out danger, it turned out that the devil, to everyone’s joy, left your sacrifice.
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The islands
