Only 10 kilometers from Stavros, on the 75th kilometer of the old road Thessaloniki – Kavala exactly , right next to the main road, there is the church of Agia Marina. It was built in the 18th century.

A legend says that in that area one priest had his own vineyards. In one dream, Saint Marina appeared to him and showed him the tree in which her icon was. She ordered him to build a church dedicated to her and put the icon in it. The tree was cut, and there was the icon inside of it indeed, and so began the construction of this stone church.

The icon depicts Saint Marina, and is believed to be miraculous and that many have cured their illness before it. The icon is believed to be miraculous and that many have cured their illnesses in front of icon. Every year, on July 17, there is a celebration dedicated to St. Marina.

Who was Saint Marina of Antioch?

Saint Marina of Antioch was an early Christian martyr from Antioch in Pisidia (Asia Minor, present-day Turkey), who suffered during the persecution of Christians under Emperor Diocletian, around 304 AD. Known in Western tradition as Saint Margaret of Antioch, as the same tradition was transmitted to the Latin Church.
The hagiography describes her as remaining faithful to the Christian faith despite the torture and pressures of her time.

She was born into the family of a pagan priest; her mother died in early childhood and Marina was raised by a wet nurse/her foster mother.
As a teenager, she converted to Christianity; she refused to marry a Roman official (in Western versions: Olybrius or the governor) and was therefore accused of Christianity.
She was tortured, thrown into prison and, according to legend, experienced a miracle: in prison, the devil appeared to her in the form of a dragon who swallowed her, but Marina cut the dragon open with the sign of the cross and emerged unharmed. In the end, she was tortured and executed around 304.
Source

The most famous motif from tradition is the miracle with the dragon - a symbol of the victory of faith over evil. That is why she is often depicted on icons with a cross in her hand and a dragon under her feet.

Saint Marina is revered in the Orthodox tradition as the protector of children, women and the sick. She is celebrated on July 17 according to the Julian calendar (July 30 according to the Gregorian). Her icons and relics are found in many churches and monasteries in Greece and throughout the Orthodox world.

The little church was built in the magnificent, green Retina gorge in the archeological area of ​​the Ancient Arethus, on the ruins of the temple in honor of Artemis. The whole area consists of a large number of gorges, hills and rivers, and it covers the whole range from lake Volvi to Strimonikos bay, between the mountains of Holomon and Kerdilia.

As this natural paradise is located not far from Thessaloniki, it is very popular as a place for rest and picnic in untouched natural surroundings.

If possible, make sure to visit this sacred place, enjoy the beauty and tranquility that it provides.

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