size of laminated icon 3.8 x 3 inches
 
About the miracle-working icon:
Around 1800, a monk from Mount Athos set out to Asia Minor, where there were Athonite monasteries, bringing with him painted icons to sell. One of these icons, painted with who knows how many fasts and prayers, was of the Virgin Mary called Gorgoepikou.
The icon was purchased in Smyrna by a pious family, who over the years gave it as a precious inheritance to each firstborn. That is how it came into the hands of Iphigenia.
One day in 1907, when Ifigenia Anapliotou was an infant in her crib, as her parents told her, the following wonderful thing happened: The parents were having lunch on the lower floor of their house, when from the upper floor, where the crib with the child was, a loud noise was heard that surprised everyone, especially her mother Eleftheria, who screamed in fear that her child had been kidnapped, and immediately ran to see what was happening.
The icon itself had come down from the iconostasis, which was in the same room, and had stood upright on the railing of the cradle, while the infant slept peacefully and carefree.
They were frightened and called the priest, made a devout supplication to the Virgin Mary and with awe placed her back on the iconostasis.
They celebrated this wonderful event every year, on September 8, by holding a vigil at their home.
When the Asia Minor catastrophe and persecution occurred in 1922, Eleftheria's family managed to cross to Mytilene. Among the few things they were able to take with them, like everyone else, the first was this icon of the Virgin Mary.
In Mytilene where they settled, Iphigenia's mother, Eleftheria, celebrated the Virgin Mary every September 8th in memory of her great miracle in Smyrna.
One year, on September 8, they would celebrate the Virgin Mary and as always, Eleftheria took the icon down to take care of it.
At one point, when she was in another room, a strong wind blew through the open window and lifted the towel that was resting on the lit oil lamp on the iconostasis.
One end caught fire and the fire spread throughout the room. Eleftheria, although somewhat hard of hearing due to her age, heard some knocking and, wondering what it was, went out to the door, but saw no one.
But the knocks continued more loudly, and then she went upstairs and as soon as she opened the door to the room, flames and smoke shot out.
She was dizzy, couldn't breathe, and with difficulty was able to call out to the neighbors to put out the fire.
When she was finally able to enter the room, she searched with her eyes to see something in the flames, which were still burning.
She saw the image of the Virgin Mary, amidst the flames and smoke, looking at her from afar, with that sweet smile of hers, untouched by the fire and the smoke so that it shone just as she herself had polished .
The flames had respected her, and not even a trace of smoke had tarnished her, the whole family guarded this miracle like a precious pearl in their hearts.
Four Nuns began to build a Monastery, a Hermitage, in January 1965 they came to Athens and temporarily lived in the parental home of one of them, in Melissia.
There, they performed their religious duties, and at the same time, they searched for a suitable place to slowly build their Monastery, and they found a place in Kapandriti, they liked it, and they even gave a down payment.
They wanted to order an Icon of the Virgin Mary of Gorgoepikou from Mount Athos, in whose name they would dedicate the Monastery.
One day, a woman, Ifigenia Anapliotou, visited them and after staying with them for a while, she got up to leave, saying: "I have to go, because I have to go through the church, to get an Icon of mine, where I took it for the "Greetings". You know, it was learned that it is very miraculous, and they asked me to take it, to venerate it. But the women are scratching it, and I'm afraid they will spoil it for me" .
She told them that she brought it from Smyrna, that it was a family Icon and from generation to generation, it always came to the first child of the family and finally, it came into her hands. The nuns asked which Virgin Mary the Icon was of and she replied that it was the Virgin Mary, the Gorgoepikou.
A joy filled the hearts of all four nuns and since the Monastery would be dedicated to the name of Panagia Gorgoepikoou, the nuns asked to take her to keep her, but the woman politely refused, and they did not insist. This happened in the middle of Great Lent and towards Easter, she sent them a message that she would give them the Icon when they built the monastery, she also said that she had dreamed of building a church for her, but she did not have the financial means.
Since then, a few months have passed and in August 1965, they begged her to give them the Icon for a while, so they could take some photos of it, because they were going to have their first outdoor Mass, in Kapandriti, and she gave it to them gladly and when they went to return it, she told them: "Keep it . "
Since that time, the Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos, the Gorgoepikou, has been in their hands and with her grace and power, the Holy Monastery of Mandra, Attica, was built.