Virgin Mary Epakoyoysa - Holy Monastery Zografou

During the period of the false union of the Council of Lyons under th pro-Latin Michael VIII Palaeologus and the Patriarch Ioannes Beccus, in the 13th century, Latin clerics accompanied by soldiers invaded the Holy Mountain, that stronghold of Orthodoxy, to impose by force union with the Western Church. The Zografou Monastery had the honour to produce in this struggle against error the 26 Martyrs of Zographou. At that time, there was a saintly elder living the ascetic life near the Monastery whose habit it was to recite the Akathistos Hymn many times a day before the icon of the Theotokos.

According to the tradition, the founders of Zografou Monastery are considered to be three brother monks, Moses, Aaron and John from Ahrida, who lived on Mount Athos in the 10th century. However, historical evidence testifies to another version of the establishment of the Monastery. In the first charter of Tsimiskis (972), George the Painter (in Greek, Zografos) is mentioned as the builder of the Zografou Monastery, who signs as abbot of the Monastery. The Zografou Monastery is dedicated to Saint George, as an old miraculous icon is preserved, which is one of the most important relics of the Monastery.

The power of the Sacred Belt of Theotokos is great and miraculous. It preserves the grace of the Virgin Mary, sanctifies the faithful and frees them from sorrows and diseases. The Holy Belt has performed innumerable miracles, especially in cases of women who had difficulty conceiving children. A ribbon sanctified by the Agia Zoni helps women to have a good pregnancy.