A few documented healings by the Precious Cross of Fr. Ioannis Maridakis
- My name is Phillip Hashem, I’m 26 years old. On September 21, 2011
I was involved in an auto accident where I broke my neck and incurred
a spinal cord injury which left me paralyzed from the neck down. Over
the next year with the prayers of loved ones and much hard work in
therapy I was able to begin to walk with a cane. Over the next 9 years I
remained with the cane as I went through struggles between my faith
and my search for truth through the worldly sciences and philosophy.
Several years later I was no closer to that truth than before I started. In
the last year some events occurred in my life which have lead me to
embrace my faith more than ever, these events coincided with the
blessings of the cross, which have allowed me to keep gaining spiritual
and physical strength and begin walking without the cane. My first
session with the cross took place at the end of January 2011, after
which I began to feel relief from my back and knee pain as well as
stiffness. Throughout the next 2 months I had 5 more healing sessions
with the cross. Each time i felt more relief and after the first 4 sessions I forgot my cane one day going to
the gym and had to attempt walking in without it. To my surprise it was significantly easier than I expected
and from that day on I have not used it since. I am very grateful for this blessed opportunity and it has and
will continue to strengthen my faith. - My name is Sandy Garvin. I live in Seattle, WA. I am treated for stage four Renal Cell Carcinoma,
diagnosed in October, 2006. I was told that I would have from 6 to 8 months to live, but if I was lucky, I
would maybe make it to 5 years. I have undergone numerous surgeries and radiation sessions to the point
of my life time maximum of radiation. I have been infused with a number of different chemo treatments
including Avastin, Zometa, Torisel, one or two others, and currently on Sutent. I have undergone surgery to
take my femur and left hip, replacing it with metal, and told I would not walk. I am not allowed to lift more
than 8 pounds, because my breastbone is honeycombed with cancer, and told it might collapse. Because of
taking Zometa, I have necrosis of my bones, and in particular, my lower jaw bone. You can look into my
mouth and see my actual jaw bone. I have been on anti biotics for almost 3 solid years, because of
infections in my mouth due to exposed bone.
After another of my mandatory every 3 month scans, I received news that my cancer tumors were
multiplying. I shared this news with a few friends. On Friday, in February 2011, I received a call from
Cathleen Clinger, that the Precious Cross was being flown to Phoenix. She offered that if I could get down
there, her God Mother, Effie, would pick me up at the airport to take me to the Church where the blessings
were to be done.
I flew down from Seattle on Sunday morning, and was scheduled to fly back that evening. Effie Zissimatos
drove me to the church. She explained that I would be permitted to go to the head of the line to be blessed,
but she would have to wait.
We arrived. Effie spoke with Fr. Ioannis to let him know of my situation. I was blessed by Fr. Ioannis, using
the piece of the Precious Cross he brought from Greece. While he was blessing me, the Precious Cross
“stuck” to all the places I had tumors. It felt very uplifting. I don’t think I would be able to describe it.
Almost a relief came over me.
While I was visiting last week, Fr. Ioannis asked me to stay to be blessed on Thursday. When I went in to be
blessed, the Precious Cross “stuck” to my esophagus. He let go of the Precious Cross, and it stayed. He
asked if I have stomach trouble. I do. I take medicine for it. I cannot eat anything with acid in it. No
grapefruit, no lemons, no oranges, etc. Last evening, I ate part of an orange. I did not vomit. The Precious
Cross might have healed my stomach problem.
Fr. Ioannis gave me the Greek name Stavrula, and said that if my tumors are gone he would baptize me into
the Orthodox faith. I agreed. Effie explained that Fr. Ioannis lives in Greece, on the island of Crete. I told
him that I would be happy to fly to Greece to be baptized.
I flew back to Seattle. My next scan would be scheduled for May 3. I waited patiently. When the results
came, of NO active tumors, I was very happy, and thanked God, because of the Blessing I received from the
Precious Cross, and Father Ioannis. I had to fly down to Phoenix, to tell the Monks at the Monastery my
great news. - I want to tell everyone the story of the miracle which occurred when my son, George Makris, was blessed
with the relic of the Cross of Christ which Fr. Ioannis brought to Salt Lake City on Oct. 27th, 2011. My
husband and I took our children to Sts. Peter and Paul Orthodox Church the evening of Oct. 27th, 2011 to
have them blessed by the Cross. My son, George, has had a problem with ambliopia, which is where one
eye does not see as well as the other eye. His left eye has been much weaker than his right
eye. Specifically, he was seeing 20/50 out of his left and 20/20 out of the right eye. We had been following
the physician’s order to patch his right eye in order to make the left eye become stronger. When we first
started this patching procedure, George’s eye was very bad and his vision was 20/200 in his left eye. So,
over the past 3 years with patching the left eye and wearing glasses, his eye has improved to only 20/50 at
best. The doctor felt this was probably as good as it would get.
The evening of Oct. 27th, Fr. Ioannis blessed my son with the Cross of Christ. On Nov.4th, 2011 my son had
his next eye appointment with the physician. They did his eye exam with the eye chart and the physician
said to me, “I really can’t believe this, but his vision in his left eye is dramatically improved!” His vision in
the left eye had improved to 20/25!! The physician stated that he couldn’t explain why or how his vision
had improved. I said to the physician that it was a miracle from a blessing my son had received by Fr.
Ioannis.
I am so thankful to our Blessed and Glorious Lord Jesus Christ for giving my son the gift of better sight. The
miracle we have received from this relic of Christ’s Cross has made me so very thankful. I hope that by
sharing our story that others may be encouraged to be blessed by Fr. Ioannis. I also want to thank Michael
Zervos for helping to bring Fr. Ioannis back to Salt Lake City a second time, so we all could have another
opportunity to be blessed by Fr. Ioannis and the Relic of the Cross of Jesus Christ.
With Thanks and Glory to Christ our God,
Pam Makris
Salt Lake City, UT - Nearly a dozen years ago, I shattered my right ankle as a result of a fall. While the ankle was surgically
reconstructed and has properly healed, I have experienced some soreness, stiffness, and a moderate of
pain in the area around the break. This is been more pronounced is the mornings, when I first wake up and
move around. Since the time that I received the blessing of the Holy Cross of Christ from Father Ioannis a
few weeks ago, including the blessing of the Holy Cross directly on my ankle, that soreness almost entirely
disappeared!
Kostas Katsohirakis (Salt Lake City)