Additional Miracles of St. John the Russian and the Youth

St. John the Russian, the New Righteous Confessor of Evia - Commemorated on May 27th (http://www.rel.gr/photo/displayimage.php?album=26&pos=116)

Additional Miracles of St. John the Russian and Children - Miracles related by Fr. John Vernesou, Proistamenos Priest of St. John the Russia, Neo Prokopi of Evia (amateur translation)
1) “When we performed the changing of the vestments on April 18th 2005, do you know? [The Saint] asks by himself for us to change his vestments. If we would want to open it, the reliquary doesn’t open. We turn the key and listen and it doesn’t open when he doesn’t want. How does the changing of the vestments come about? He goes to a good soul (in different places, in New York, Australia, Thessaloniki) and tells them in their sleep: “Come and greet me, I am John from Russia. Come to my church and tell the Priest the time has come to change the garments.” That’s how it occurred in 1937, 1955, and in 1977, when I was received here. I learned from the faithful. In 2005 the Righteous One asked again for his vestments to be changed after 28 years had passed since 1977.

Mr. Stylianos knows that here we began to work together. He told me that we grew gray together. The beloved Stylianos has participated for many years in this work, and you should pray for him. I am here for 43 years as a priest and for three years before as a layman, in all in 46 years we have seen thousands and millions of faithful pass before St. John.

What did we bear witness to? What did we see during the changing? The astonishing thing we said was mentioned by [the Saint] himself! Thus to a girl he said:

“You should come and see my pillow which will be full of tears. I cry for you the youth. I pray especially for you to God to strengthen you.”

St. Ephraim of Nea Makri and St. John the Russian, two great protectors and healers of young people, icon by Alevizakis (source)

   
When in 1977 we opened and saw the pillow, it was totally clean, however, here, next to the eyes, it was moist with a large stain from tears.

We all saw the head of the Saint move, along with the Bishop and the priest. Astonishing! We take the reliquary and bring it to two tables and there place the Saint. It was God Himself Who sanctified, honored, bestowed on and glorified him, Who granted him the gift of incorruption until the Second Coming…”

The Relic of St. John the Russian, Neo Prokopi, Evia (http://www.rel.gr/photo/displayimage.php?album=9&pos=74)

2) “…A family in Athens received a major blow, their child Vasilaki, 5th Grade Dimotikou, suddenly lost his mood, was locked in the house, and they began tests and confirmed “myelogenous leukemia”, after a spinal tap. They began chemotherapy, the child’s hair fell out and his resistance was very low. The child lost his strength. One night, at midnight, he cried for his mother.

“Mommy, I want a favor. Take me to St. John the Russian.”

“How, my child, did you think of that Saint among so many Saints?”

“Do you remember where we went for vacation last year? We bought the book with his Story and his miracles. Tonight, as soon as I finished reading it, I heard inside me a voice, as if to say, come Vasilaki to my church and I will make you well.”

They came. You could see how the child was trying to grasp onto life. He came near, venerated. He opened his small hands and prayed, and straightaway put on the cap and the belt of the Saint. And the most simple object can carry the power of God. His mother cried near the holy relic, and then the child said to her:

“Mommy don’t cry for me! St. John made me well.”

“Tell me, my child, how?”

“The numbness in my body and the pain in my back stopped, and besides that, joy came into me. I’m happy that I can return to my school.”

They left and didn’t say anything to anyone. They returned to Athens. They went to the Hospital. They performed new tests and the doctor said that they could stop the chemotherapy because there was no more sickness anymore. Then the mother related what had occurred and what the child did on his own, and the doctor said:

“These are above science, they are in the realm of faith. You should thank the Saint because the discharge was undersigned by a Saint.”

In June Vasilaki finished Dimotiko and it is as God wishes…”
(amateur translation of Greek text from: http://www.agiooros.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=45&t=2054)
  

Icon from the Church of St. John the Russian in Evia, depicting St. John appearing and saving the classroom of twenty children (source)

   St. John saves the school children
In 1862, after attending liturgy in the nearby Church of Saint Basil, an Orthodox woman told the Christians that the previous night she had dreamt that St. John the Russian had risen up from his coffin and gone to the neighboring school, where, with his own hands, he held up the collapsing roof. As she finished her story, they all heard a tremendous crash, and ran outside to see that the roof of the school had indeed collapsed over the schoolhouse. Expecting the twenty children to be dead, the despairing villagers ran to lift up the heavy roof beams, but to their astonishment all of the children crawled out of the debris unharmed. They told the villagers that, seconds before the roof collapsed, they had heard a terrible creaking sound and hidden under their desks. When the roof fell, the beams were supported on the desks, and no one was hurt.
(http://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2012/05/st-john-russian-and-collapse-of-school.html)
 
For more on the life and miracles of St. John the Russian, see: http://full-of-grace-and-truth.blogspot.com/2009/05/st-john-russian-new-confessor.html.

St. John the Russian, with scenes from his life (http://www.rel.gr/photo/displayimage.php?album=26&pos=218)

Apolytikion of St. John the Russian

He that hath called thee from earth unto the heavenly abodes doth even after thy death keep thy body unharmed, O righteous one; for thou wast carried off as a prisoner into Asia wherein also, O John, thou didst win Christ as thy friend. Wherefore do thou beseech him that our souls be saved.

(taken from: http://orthodoxword.wordpress.com/2009/05/26/mighty-in-meekness-%E2%80%93-st-john-the-russian/)

Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us! Amen!