Monastery of Saint Nicholas
Isolated from active tourist life, deep in the island of Corfu there is an uninhabited today monastery in honour of (devoted to) Saint Nicholas.
It was founded in XVI century in cozy and remote corner of the island on the funds of one wealthy native family. The Vezhy family (later the Orliotti) was the owner of that land (it should be noted that one third of churches and monasteries are still private in Corfu).
Not so long ago, by the mid of XX century, the sisters had been still living there but over time the Monastery life fell into decay, one by one the old nuns were leaving to Heavens but new didn’t come. The last nun of this Monastery, sister Sebastia being very old and weak, was taken by sisters of the Pantokrator-Kamarela Monastery, where she peacefully finished her earthly path and passed away.
By 60-s of the XX century, the Monastery went completely empty which resulted in destruction and ruin.
The owner family of the Monastery was losing its prosperity, became smaller, some family members left the island, others died being childless.
The last owner shortly before his death transferred the deserted Monastery to the Pantokrator-Kamarela Monastery.
By that time there had been left only the Church of Saint Nicholas (being in very poor condition), the bell tower and the monastery walls. All other buildings had been fully ruined. Thanks to sister’s efforts of the Pantokrator-Kamarela Monastery the church was covered with new roof and the needed repairing works were done.
Given a small number of nuns and the money shortage, bringing the Monastery to its original state does not seem possible.
But for the precious efforts of Kamarela nuns, a Russian-Greek family from the USSR and some pilgrims mostly from Russia, the Monastery would have come to a total decline. Their labour and help keep the Monastery of Saint Nicholas from being abandoned and unneeded.
The services here take place just a few times a year — on feasts of Saint Nicholas and of great martyr Euphemia, who is also respected to be the protectress of the Monastery.
In the recent years the Monastery is regularly visited by volunteers and pilgrims, who clean the area, save it from decline and do improvement works in the church.
Hopefully, the day will come and the Monastery of Saint Nicholas will become a place to belong to for some people.
