The Monastery of Timios Prodromos of Anatoli at Agia of Larisa is situated on the wonderful mountain of Kisavos and it is known for something that is unique in the Orthodox Church. It offers hospitality to nuns from 11 different countries and from all over the world.

Specifically, the 20 nuns of the Monastery come from the USA, Australia, Finland, England, Germany, Lebanon, Estonia, Japan, Russia, Cyprus and Greece.

This standard and multi-national Orthodox Monastery honours Saint John the Baptist and its owner, Saint Damianos from Kisavos (he celebrates on 14^th February). Saint Damianos (16^th century) was from Karditsa. He became a monk at Filotheou Monastery of Agion Oros, then he became a hermit at Kisavos (there still exists the place where he was a hermit, it is near the Monastery) and finally he lost his life by the Turks at the bridge of Pinios river at Larisa, in 1568AC.

The Monastery of Timios Prodromos is 3,5kms western of Anatoli village at Agia of Larisa, at an elevation of 1100m on Kisavos mountain (Ossa). It belongs to the Metropolis of Dimitriados of Volos. It was founded, as we have already said, by Saint Damianos in 1550AC. He also organized the communal monastic society that flourished until the Second World War. Then, the Monastery was desolated.

Since 2000, the Monastery has undertaken the task to bring an international group of nuns to the Monastery. The nuns themselves have set the hermitage “Apostolos Pavlos” (Saint Paul) that is situated in Attica, into function.

The nuns who have undertaken the task to restore the old building of the Monastery have managed to deal successfully with biological agriculture and stockbreeding. In the Monastery, a lot of ecological agricultural and stockbreeding products are sold, mainly dairy products and their derivatives.

The Farm and Products of the Monastery

In 1986 the community of nuns at St. Paul’s monastery in Athens began engaging in ecological farming and animal husbandry both as a traditional monastic occupation serving the needs of the community and as a means of expressing respect for the creation of God.

Since then their efforts, their animals, their crops, and their production have grown considerably. The sisters offer guidance, and their farm serves as a prototype to others wishing to cultivate biologically.

Animals

The sisters raise cows, sheep, goats, wild pigs, chickens, rabbits, and bees.

Although they do not eat meat, they sell the meat from their animals. From the milk of the cows, sheep, and goats, they produce a variety of cheeses and yogurt.

Crops

In parallel, the sisters also grow a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, and therapeutic and fragrant plants, without genetic modification or chemical cultivation. From these they sustain the community. They also make many products from them, such as preserves and soaps, which they sell to visitors.

The Old Monastery and Church of St John the Forerunner

The heartfelt desire of the sisters is to see the restoration of the old monastery and of its original church with its precious frescoes. It is a valuable historic and religious landmark for Greece and a pride for the area of Thessaly. But costs for its restoration are enormous and much beyond the means of the community. Any help for this worthwhile enterprise would be greatly appreciated.

Telephone number of the Monastery: (+30) 2494081289

P.O. Box 68, 40003 Anatoli Agias, Greece

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