Saved from a Death Sentence

"One of the disciples of the renowned St. Joseph the Hesychast (1897–1959) was Father Charalambos (Galanopoulos, 1910–2001), abbot of the Athonite Monastery of St. Dionysios. A Pontic Greek by origin, he was born in 1910 in Russia, and at the age of ten, he moved with his family to Greece, settling in northern Greece, in the village of Arkadiko.

In 1941, during the German occupation of Greece, Bulgarian soldiers arrested Charalambos along with fellow villagers and threw them behind bars. A week later, something occurred that no one expected: the prisoners were sentenced to death. With burning tears, Charalambos fell to his knees and prayed:

"Holy Great-Martyr George, mighty warrior of Christ, save us—and I promise to dedicate my whole life to God!"

“Just as I finished the prayer,” the Elder later said, “I heard a noise above us. A horse was galloping in the air, right over us, though I saw no rider. But it was all clear! It must have been St. George, I said to myself—I am simply not worthy to see him. Even if I saw only the horse, it means he heard us!”

Early the next morning, the executioners entered the cell, ready to carry out the sentence. A few seconds later, the cell door flew open, and in walked a young man of athletic build, shouting furiously:

“Stop immediately, you villains! Release these innocent people to their homes—or I will kill you all!”

Terrified, the executioners fled the cell. The young man vanished along with them. No one doubted, of course, that this was the Great-Martyr George himself. Shortly thereafter, the prisoners were granted amnesty.

Nine years after this miracle, Charalambos Galanopoulos left the world and, arriving on Mount Athos, became a monk—fulfilling his vow to God and to St. George."