Procession held on Corfu in memory of St. Spyridon’s miracle

Procession with the relics of St. Spyridon of Trimythous. Photo: orthodoxianewsagency.gr

On August 11, 2026, the traditional procession with the relics of St. Spyridon of Trimythous was held on the Greek island of Corfu. The celebrations commemorated the miracle associated with the city’s deliverance from the Ottoman siege on August 11, 1716, Orthodoxia News Agency reports.

Clergy, large numbers of believers, and representatives of the state and local authorities took part in the procession.

Two prayers were offered during the procession – the first at the entrance to the Old Fortress in memory of St. Spyridon’s miracle, and the second at the palace.

Addressing those gathered, Metropolitan Nektarios of Corfu of the Church of Greece said the annual procession continues a tradition passed down by the people of Corfu from generation to generation.

“In times like those, the saint stood together with his people against the enslavement of this land,” the metropolitan said. According to him, the memory of that event today calls Christians to spiritual resistance against everything directed against the faith, the Church, the homeland, and traditional values.

The celebrations on Corfu are continuing. Vespers and an all-night vigil will be held in the evening, while the relics of St. Spyridon have been placed at the entrance to the church for veneration by large numbers of believers and pilgrims.

According to tradition, during the Ottoman siege of Corfu in 1716, the island’s inhabitants prayed continuously to St. Spyridon. On August 9, a violent storm broke out, causing panic in the besieging camp. At the same time, reports spread among the Turkish soldiers that the saint had appeared as an elderly man holding a blazing torch and threatening the attackers. On August 11, the Ottoman forces lifted the siege and withdrew from the island. In memory of this event, a procession with the relics of St. Spyridon is held on Corfu every year.

As the UOJ previously reported, an Orthodox chapel in Greece miraculously survived a wildfire.

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