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Thanks to St.
Dionysios΄ blessings, despite the numerous destructions, the Monastery has been
enjoying continuous life and monks΄ presence for
about 500 years. Due to St. Dionysios΄ personality,
it soon became widely known and developed great spiritual activity, in line
with its founder΄s pattern. Centuries
ago, the reputation of the old Monastery surpassed the boundaries of the Greek
territory reaching Tsarist Russia. Even
today, thousands of people, coming from both neighboring and distant areas,
come to worship and pray to the Saint. The
Monastery of St. Dionysios became integral part of Greece΄s long history, society and education. There was an organized icon
painting workshop and manuscript transcription center, thanks to which many old
texts have been preserved. The Monastery΄s school was
attended by many pupils, including the areas΄ great
chieftains, perhaps even Rigas Fereos. The
Monastery however was destined to be afflicted, suffer the price for its
contribution to the education of the faithful, to the protection of traditions.
In 1821, it was set afire by Veli Pasha, son of Ali Pasha. After a three-day
battle, Hegumen Methodios Paliouras was hung along with another 12 monks at the
central During
the Olympus Revolt in 1878, the Monastery took again active part; by providing
shelter to the women and children of Litochoro, it disrupted for the first time
the entrance prohibition for women. The Metochion of Skala was used as
replenishment and disembarkation station for the Greek fighters. During the
Macedonian Struggle, it constituted again shelter for the fighters and
replenishment station. Despite
all the successive natural or volitional destructions and the ceaseless
pillages, the Monastery kept on protecting the inhabitants of |