The long avenue leading to the church is bordered by large plane trees which are said to have been planted by the same saint and have a miraculous feature. From each trunk sprout five thick branches that represent the hand of the saint lifted up towards the sky.
The cave in which the saint lived as an ascetic and which is located just beneath the monastery is also miraculous. To get from room to room in the cave you need to crawl through a narrow opening. According to legend, anyone who has lived a sinless life can pass through the opening regardless of his size and emerge perfectly clean.
October 20 commemorates the exhumation of the body of St. Gerasimos. When his relics were unearthed on October 20, 1581, his body was found uncorrupted and perfumed. It is said that the body was then placed on the roof of the monastery to see if it would decompose, but this was not the case. Since then his relics rest in a silver reliquary inside the monastery chapel and thousands of people visit the Saint hoping for a miracle. There are in fact numerous miracles attributed to Gerasimos, capable of healing and driving out evil spirits.
It was a glorious sunny day today, perfect for a walk in Valsamata, and this year we really cannot refuse the help of San Gerasimos. Χρόνια πολλά to Kefalonia and to all the Gerasimos, Makis and Akis!
Ph. Michael Pappas
