Two testimonies of the late Argyri Alexandratou concerning Saints Chrysostomos of Florina and Eugenios Limonis

Nikolaos Mannis | August 22, 2024

 

 

The late Argyri Alexandratou was born in 1928 in Piraeus to very virtuous parents, Spyridon Alexandratos and Stamatina Sourí (a relative of the well-known poet). Her sisters were Styliani and Panagiota. She was originally from Drakopoulata in Cephalonia, where she spent the first very difficult years of her childhood. Before the occupation, they settled in Piraeus, and their spiritual father was Fr. Eugenios Limonis (more commonly known as "Lemonis," a corrupted form of his surname). She zealously served the struggle of the Old Calendarists both during the persecution and later on, through fundraising to support the foundation of the Union of Orthodox Ladies "Panagia Odigitria" in Glyfada. During the years of persecution, she took a leading role in the events in Piraeus (hunger strike, etc.) along with other fighters, where they were beaten by the police. They would secretly bring food to the imprisoned priests, whom the... “love” of the Innovators had shaved and defrocked. She served as sexton at the Holy Church of Saint Philip in Piraeus from a young child until her advanced old age. The funeral service was also held there, in accordance with her wish. She had personally known the holy former Bishop of Florina, Chrysostomos. She worked hard and never married. For four days she was on her death bed, and as soon as her nephew told her that the priest would come to give her Communion, she awoke and asked to be combed and prepared. She departed on September 21, 2022. May her memory be eternal!

I met the late Mrs. Argyro in September 2018 at Saint Philip, where she recounted to me the following incidents. I thank the brother in Christ, Spyros Chatzigiannis, nephew of the departed, for the biographical details and the photographic material.

 

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Concerning the Venerable Papa-Eugenios Limonis

If there was one thing that scandalized all who knew Papa-Eugenios, it was the way he treated beggars. As soon as he stepped out into the street, they would come toward him to ask for alms. Then Papa-Eugenios would raise his voice and drive them away with gestures: “Don’t touch me, get out of my way!” he would shout, pretending to push them away. Many times, the faithful who didn’t know him would wonder how such a holy man, as people called him, could behave in such a manner toward the unfortunate beggars. The answer came when Papa-Eugenios fell asleep in the Lord. At his funeral, all those beggars came weeping and sobbing, saying: “Who will help us now?” The most venerable Papa-Eugenios, at the very moment he pretended to be pushing them away, was secretly placing money into their hands or into their pockets!

 

 

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Concerning the Saint Chrysostomos, former Bishop of Florina

As a young girl, I was deemed worthy, together with my father, to visit our spiritual father, the Saint, former Bishop of Florina Chrysostomos, during his exile at the Monastery of Ypsilou in Mytilene. There we learned of the following wondrous event. As soon as the Saint was brought to the Monastery, the villagers began to see a light coming forth from the monastery at night. One day, some of them asked the abbot of the Monastery, the late Archimandrite Seraphim Kaïmakamellis: “Father Seraphim, what is this light you’ve installed at the monastery?” The abbot was puzzled and told them that there was no such light. However, when others asked him again, he decided to go out at night to see from where this light was coming. Indeed, he discovered that it was coming from somewhere! As he searched, he arrived at the cell where the Saint was sleeping—and from it was truly emanating a radiant, brilliant light! The next day, Fr. Seraphim fell at the Saint’s feet asking for forgiveness, and from that moment on did everything in his power to make his exile as bearable as possible, forming a bond of friendship with him thereafter.

 

 

(Note: It is no coincidence that in one of his letters, Fr. Seraphim referred to the Saint as “the greatest ecclesiastical figure of the contemporary Hierarchy of the Church of Greece” and called him “a pillar and ground of Orthodoxy”!)

 

Greek source: https://krufo-sxoleio.blogspot.com/2024/08/blog-post_22.html