Photo credit (c) Luiza ABU-SALEM / AGERPRES PHOTO

However, the monastery impresses not only through its history, but also through the mysterious phenomena that have occurred right under its roof. For instance, a few years ago, when the icons at monastery started shedding tears of myrrh and blood. The tracks are still visible up to this day.

‘The history of the monastery is quite beautiful. For what I understood, the walls were erected in 1945-1947, meant for hosting four military units. But that only lasted until the commander of the unit folded the flag and with it in his bag fled abroad. Within 48 years since that episode, the military base was closed and the building became an orphanage, having been used for that purpose from 1960 until 1988. However, in 1988, one of the units, the one by the side of the road, was abandoned and in 1998 it was taken over by the Diocese of Alexandria and Teleorman. His Holiness came to Teleorman in 1996, when the Diocese got first established,’ abbot Antonie Lita told AGERPRES.

According to him, there are two buildings occupied by the monastery at the present, among the four of the former military base.

‘The Monastery was established in 1998. In 2004 I asked for the blessing of his Holiness Galaction to allow us to read from the Book of Psalms day and night without ever stopping and we started to do that, and on February the 2nd the icons started shedding tears, especially the one in the church that is older. Before, in 2003, it was father Maximilian who said that he saw teardrops on that icon. He came to tell me that was a myrrh streaming icon. Later, on February 2, 2004, on the day of the Presentation of the Redeemer Jesus Christ, precisely on the night between February 2 and 3, myrrh started to flow from this icon and it continued to flow until a small lake of myrrh was formed. They were priests who came from Rosiori, the police in the village, the mayor, the faithful, since it was during the Lent. Then there were several icons who started to shed myrrh and three icons from the iconostasis also started to shed tears plus an icons that we have here in the house,’ said abbot Antonie Lita.

The monks share the little that they have with those who crossed their threshold. Tourists are welcomed with love, accommodation is free of charge. Tourists come here in great number on St Pantelimon Day, when the church celebrates its patron saint and also on November 13, when we celebrate St John Chrysostom.

Around the St Pantelimon Monastery there is also a former airport that is part of the military base. Tourists are free to take a walk on the runaway and also they are free to visit the other monasteries in the area, situated on the field of the former military base.

AGERPRES