The history of the Holy Monastery

Ιστορικό  Ιεράς Μονής

   The Holy Monastery is located by the sea, on the North-West side of the city of Rethymno, in the area of ​​Koumbes. The Catholic Church of the Holy Monastery has two aisles and the first - chronologically - aisle is dedicated to the Transfiguration of Christ and the second one to Saint John the Forerunner.

   According to written sources, in the area where the current Monastery of Christ the Savior is located, there was an Orthodox monastery during the Venetian period.
   We have a clear depiction of the Holy Monastery of Christ the Saviour, Koumbe, in the wonderful oil painting by an anonymous Rethemnian painter, from the year 1620

   The painting in question is located in the City Hall of the city and depicts the city of Rethymno during the last period of the Cretan Renaissance. The depiction of the Holy Monastery on the hill of Koumbe documents its architectural and structural existence. From this information, it is clear that at the beginning of the 17th century, the Monastery was founded and functioned as a monastery.
   Μιά ἄλλη ἔγγραφη μαρτυρία πού φανερώνει τήν ὕπαρξη τῆς Μονῆς εἶναι ἡ δήλωση της κατά τήν ἀπογραφή τοῦ 1637 ἀπό τόν τότε Καθηγούμενο Φιλόθεο Φωκά. Ὡστόσο θά πρέπει νά σημειωθεῖ ὅτι ἡ Ἱερά Μονή ἦταν εὐρύτερα γνωστή ὡς Μονή τοῦ Ἁγίου Ἰωάννου (τοῦ Ἐρημίτου), ἔχοντας δώσει τό ὄνομά της – San Giovanni Eremita – στήν παράκτια σκοπιά τῆς περιοχῆς, καθώς καί στό ὅμορο σέ αὐτήν ἀκρωτήριο (ὅπου βρίσκεται σήμερα τό στρατόπεδο) cap. S. Zuanne ἤ Punta di S. Giovanni.

   Τό γεγονός αὐτό ἐπιβεβαιώνουν τά ἀρχεῖα καί τά διάφορα σχεδιογραφήματα κατά τήν ἐποχή τῆς Ἑνετοκρατίας. Τά στοιχεῖα αὐτά ἐπιβεβαιώνονται σήμερα κατόπιν ἐνδελεχοῦς ἀρχειακῆς καί ἱστορικῆς ἔρευνας ἐπί τῶν ἀρχείων, τοπωνυμίων καί σχεδιαγραμμάτων της Ἑνετοκρατίας ἀπό τόν Καθηγητή κ. Κωστῆ Ἠλ. Παπαδάκη.

(see in this regard, Holy Transfiguration Monastery of Christ the Savior Koumbe of Rethymno and its Founder Nestor I. Vassalos, the Dionysian, Rethymno 2011, pp. 39-45 and 181-187).

   After the invasion of the Ottomans in November 1646, in Rethymno, the Holy Monastery was completely destroyed, most likely due to the provision of help to the Rethymnians against the conquerors.
After its complete destruction and the passage of centuries, nothing testified to the existence of the Monastery in the area.
   In 1935, the monk from Rethymnon Nestor Vassalos, painter and iconographer, descended from the Dafnedes of Mylopotamos,

ὁ ὁποῖος μόναζε στό κελλί τοῦ Ἁγίου Δημητρίου, τῆς Ἱερᾶς Μονῆς Ἁγίου Διονυσίου Ἁγίου ‘Ὀρους, κατόπιν θείου ὁράματος, τό ὁποῖο ἐπανελήφθη τρεῖς φορές, διετάχθη νά ἐπιστρέψει στό Ρέθυμνο, στήν ἐν λόγῳ τοποθεσία τῆς περιοχῆς Κουμπέ, προκειμένου ἀνασύρει ἀπο τή λήθη την μέχρι τότε, ἄγνωστη Ὀρθόδοξη Μονή τῆς Ἑνετοκρατίας.       Μέ τήν εὐλογία τοῦ πνευματικοῦ του πατρός καί τήν ἔγκριση τῆς ἀδελφότητας ἀνεχώρησε πρός ἐκπλήρωση τοῦ ἐντελλομένου θείου σκοποῦ.

   In the NE part of the Monastery, next to the cavernous naydrium of Agios Spyridon and quite far from the other cells of the Monastery, he built a Hagiographeio and his personal cell. There the Elder practiced the art of hagiography during the years 1936-1940.
   In 1938, the first nuns from different parts of the prefecture came to the Holy Monastery, first of all Gerontissa Makaria, mother of the Blessed first Abbess Pansemni.

   Ἔπειτα ἀπό εἴκοσι δύο χρόνια θυσιαστικῆς προσφορᾶς καί ἀγώνων , ὁ Γέροντας Νέστωρ ἐκοιμήθη ἐν Κυρίῳ την 4ην Ἰανουαρίου 1957.   

Since then and until 1970, the Monastery functioned as a idiorrythmic monastery.
   In 1970, following the prompt of the blessed Metropolitan of Rethymno and Avlopotamos, Mr. Titos Sylligardakis, the Monastery was converted into a community. The nun Pansemni is appointed as the first abbess of the Holy Monastery of Sotiros. Πανσέμνη.
   The providence and favor of God and the Holy Forerunner reserved to the venerable Gerontissa the heavy responsibility but also the blessing of the complete renovation of the Monastery and the expansion of the building complex.
New cells, new courtyards and workshops were beginning to be built for the needs of the growing Brotherhood. In the Catholic Church, as well as in all the new buildings, the nuns embed archeological finds from the excavations carried out by the Elder Nestor for blessing and sanctification.

   In 1981, the chapel of Saints Kosmas and Damianos the healers from Asia (1st of November).
   In 1992, the sisterhood of the Monastery, with the assistance of the faithful, completely renovated the existing Holy Church of the Transfiguration, adding to it a second aisle, in honor of the Beheading of the Head of the Holy Forerunner (August 29). Ἀποτομῆς τῆς Κεφαλῆς τοῦ Τιμίου Προδρόμου (29 Αὐγούστου).
   The Holy Monastery also includes the Metochi of Great martyr saint Efraim (May 5), which is located a short distance from Rethymnon, in the Kavoussi area of ​​Kastellos village.
   Σέ εἰδικά διαμορφωμένο χῶρο, εντός της Ιεράς μονής, φυλλάσσονται ὅλα τά προσωπικά  ἀντικείμενα , ἱερατικά καί ἀρχιερατικά ἄμφια , ἐγκόλπια , ἀρχιερατικές ράβδοι, καθώς καί ἡ σπουδαία βιβλιοθήκη τοῦ Μακαριστοῦ Μητροπολίτου κυροῦ Τίτου Σιλλιγαρδάκη.
   Ο Οἰκουμενικός Πατριάρχης κ.κ Βαρθολομαῖος κατά τήν ἐπίσκεψη τοῦ στήν ἱερά Μονή στίς 3 Σεπτεμβρίου 2012 ἐνεκαινίασε τήν ἀνακαινισθείσα αἴθουσα τοῦ Ecclesiastical Museum Titos Sylligardakis" on the priesthood of the Archbishop of Rethymno and Aulopotamos of Crete Mr. Eugenios B.
Ἱστορικό Ἱερᾶς Μονῆς Σωτῆρος.

   Today, 12 nuns live in the Holy Monastery, under the spiritual guidance of Gerontissa Mariam.
   The nuns ministeρ to the worship of God and the people as a ecclesiastical, noblewoman, cook, table-keeper. Parallel to the ministry, the nuns serve with great care, prayer and reverence the sacred art of iconography. ἁγιογραφίας.
   The sisters of the hagiographeio, having a sacred legacy of the wishes of the Elder and Founder and of the blessed abbess Pansemni, struggle and strive to capture with their ink the "archetypal beauty of the icon".
   Η ἁγιογράφηση φορητῶν εἰκόνων , ἱστόρηση – τοιχογράφιση Ἱερῶν Ναῶν καί ἡ ἐνασχόληση μέ τή τέχνη τῆς μικρογραφίας σέ δέρμα περγαμηνῆς ἤ σέ πάπυρο, ἀποτελοῦν ἕνα ἀπό τά σπουδαιότερα διακονήματα τῆς Ἱερᾶς Μονῆς.
   Another deacon -hand crfaftr that is cultivated in the holy Monastery is the traditional bookbinding. Οἱ ἀδελφές χρησιμοποιῶντας δέρμα ἤ ὕφασμα προσπαθοῦν νά δώσουν ξανά ζωή σέ φθαρμένα παλαίτυπα ἡ ταλαιπωρημένα ἀπό τό χρόνο καί τή χρήση βιβλία.     Ὅλα βέβαια τά διακονήματα γίνονται πρός δόξαν Θεοῦ καί εἶναι μιά φυσική συνέχεια τῆς λατρευτικῆς ζωῆς.
   At the exhibition of the Monastery, the visitor can find icons, various ecclesiastical items, as well as handmade products and handicrafts of the monastics.

https://www.imra.gr/moni-sotiros-christoy-koympe.html