Revered Icon Returned to Greek Monastery
ATHENS, Greece — A 700-year-old icon that had been stolen in August was returned Sunday to a
monastery in southern Greece in a ceremony attended by hundreds of worshippers.
Police last week recovered the revered icon of the Virgin Mary, which has been credited with healing powers
and miracles and was stolen Aug. 18 from the clifftop convent of Elonas, near the town of Leonidio, some
185 miles southwest of Athens.
Police found the icon hidden outside a nearby church and arrested one Romanian man after a five-week
investigation.
Public Order Minister Vyron Polydoras said the icon serves as a "shelter and a sanctuary" for the Greek
people.
Every year, thousands of pilgrims visit the icon, which measures 16-by-20 inches.
After it was reported stolen, police launched a massive search for the thief, who authorities said entered the
convent with a crowd of worshippers, hid in the complex and escaped with the icon at night using ropes to
descend the cliff face. Road blocks were set up across the Peloponnese region of southern Greece and
helicopters searched remote areas.
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October 1, 2006 - 2:15 p.m. EDT
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