A 300 year old oak tree turn into a small chapel in honor of Agios Paisios, an ascetic monk from Mount Athos who was canonized two years ago.
The beautiful oak tree chapel is located 22 kilometers north of Konitsa in the village of Agia Varvara, where Saint John spent his youth passing to the nearby village of Amarantos to perform carpentry and repairs to local houses.
300 year Old Oak Tree Turned into Small Chapel
The Oak tree had suffered several forms of destruction, it was deteriorating year after year. The blessed 2.10 meter tree had suffered severe destruction and fire, resulting in deteriorating condition, however an initiative by Harry Poretsi, resident at the village of Agia Varvara and other locals gathered to save the tree and built it into a pilgrimage site for Agios Paisios.
The oak tree had suffered several forms of destruction, it was deteriorating year after year. The restoration work consisted, first of all, of shielding the hollow with local stones.
The two meter and ten centimeter high tree was turned into a tiny tree-chapel. According to the biography of Elder Paisios, he used to pass by the village of Agia Varvara when he was young in order to perform carpentry and repairs to local houses in the nearby village of Amarantos. There are reportedly very few tree-chapels in Greece. Such tree-chapels attract the interest of many Greek and foreign visitors.
The weak tree was lined with stone inside and out and turned into a chapel, with an icon of St. Paisios, a lampada, a candle stand, and a door. The church is 7 feet tall.
Source: Kontranews.gr / Protothema.gr / Orthochristian.com / Keeptalkinggreece.com / Greekcitytimes.com /
Gudsol 