The dessert of Saint Gerasimos awaits your ´droplet of good will offering!

 

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the pilgrimages to the Holy Land have ceased. The brave monks, standing as vigilant guards, keep the Orthodox Christian faith defended, in the heart of the desert.  

 

The continuing pandemic has brought consequences that have never been seen before, in all aspects of our social life during the last six months, and it has unavoidably affected the Holy Land, as well. The restrictive measures for the prevention of the—at least for now—indomitable disease, have deprived us of our yearly pilgrimage to the Holy Land this year.  

 

The pilgrimage sites of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem, the Tomb of the Virgin Mary in Gethsemane, and the other pilgrimage sites in Jerusalem and the wider area of Israel and Palestine, are almost empty, without pilgrims, and no one knows for how much longer.  

 

The pilgrims, along with providing financial aid to the Holy Land, also encourage the Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulchre, that is tasked with guarding, renovating, and maintaining the Holy Pilgrimage sites, these sacred depositories of our Faith and our People.   

 

In the middle of such adversities, the Greeks of the Brotherhood of the Holy Sepulchre continue their unique mission with self-denial and a powerful sense of duty, defending the rights and privileges of the Greek people and the Greek Orthodox faith throughout the centuries in the tormented Middle East, often risking their lives.  

At every Pilgrimage site, the Blue and White flag is seen waving, always reminding us of our duty to strengthen and maintain the Holy Pilgrimage sites, something that our ancestors considered self-evident and always complied with.  

 

One of these is our beloved monastery of Agios Gerasimos of the Jordan in the desert of Israel. Thanks to the untiring efforts, the persistence, and the integrity of its vigorous abbot, Archimandrite Chrysostomos Tavoulereas, hailing from Mani, and thanks to the financial aid of the faithful from Greece, Cyprus, and the rest of the world, the monastery that used to be abandoned in a barren and highly dangerous area, was fully restored and transformed to a real oasis, in the heart of the desert.  

 

Today, it is a centre of attraction for thousands of pilgrims that revere Agios Gerasimos, that testify to his many miracles, coming from abroad to serve as volunteers and to express their gratitude to the abbot Chrysostomos, who devotes his time fully and answers the many telephone calls that he receives every day, from people who want to receive support, to find meaning, encouragement, hope, and relief from their pain.  

 

The lordly hospitality and the charity work of the Monastery is famous to all of us, a work of truly generous almsgiving, feeding poor families of suffering Palestinians and treating the sick and the old, nurturing a spirit of peace and fellowship in this sensitive area.  

 

This work is a great blessing by God, with the embassies of the Holy Mother of Jesus and of our Holy Father Agios Gerasimos of Jordan, a work performed under the paternal wishes and the patriarchal blessings of His Beatitude our Father and Patriarch of Jerusalem, Mr. Mr. Theofilos III.  

 

We should never allow the prolonged absence of pilgrims in the Holy Lands deprive the Holy Pilgrimage sites and the Monastery of Agios Gerasimos of our offering of love, since we always possess the characteristic Greek integrity.  

 

Despite the financial difficulties we all face, these works of solidarity, charity, and national importance should not stop, but instead, they should be strengthened. This is why even the smallest contribution is mighty.

 

With this little gesture, we want to show that the privatization and the "everyone for themselves" mindset can be defeated when solidarity and mutual aid is put into practice. 

All the efforts that are exerted through the internet are realized by the spiritual children of Abbot Chrysostomos Taboulereas for the financial support of the Monastery of Agios Gerasimos of Jordan, where the Abbot is also helping. As is well known, Father Chrysostomos always helped everytime and everyone, even further back when the monastery was in excellent condition.