The Holy Belt of the Virgin Mary

The all-holy and gracious Belt of our Virgin Mary, which is located in the Holy Great Monastery of Vatopedi on Mount Athos, is the only relic that has survived from her earthly life.

According to the sacred tradition and history of our Church, the Most Holy Theotokos rose three days after her Dormition and ascended bodily to heaven. During her ascension, she gave the Apostle Thomas her Holy Belt. And Thomas, together with the other Apostles, after opening the tomb, “found not the body” of the Theotokos. Thus, the Holy Belt constitutes evidence for our Church of the resurrection and ascension of the Theotokos bodily to heaven and, in a word, of her transmigration.

The Holy Belt was made according to tradition by the Virgin Mary herself with camel hair. Empress Zoe, wife of Leo VI the Wise, out of gratitude for her miraculous healing, embroidered the Belt with gold thread, as it survives today. Initially it was kept in Jerusalem and then in Constantinople, which in 12^being century under Manuel I Komnenos (1143-1180) an official celebration was established on the 31st^M August. Finally, Emperor John VI Kantakouzenos (1347-1355), who had a special love for the Holy Great Monastery of Vatopedi, as is evident from many relevant testimonies, donated it to it. Since then, the Holy Belt has been kept in the Holy Monastery of Vatopedi, in a silver case of modern construction which bears the representation of the Monastery. In the lower right compartment of the representation, the manufacturer sculpted the figure of the donor Emperor Kantakouzenos and an inscription which refers to his donation to the Monastery.

Countless are the miracles that have been performed with the Holy Belt to this day. Its value is priceless, because it is associated with the Virgin Mary. She has the grace and to her it owes the miraculous power, which it transmits to the faithful in various ways.

The Holy Belt "inexhaustibly" preserves the grace of the Most Holy Theotokos, because it was connected with her person and life and because the saints are spirit-bearing not only during their lives, but also after their repose. The same phenomenon is mentioned in the shrouds and semi-cinthia of the Apostles, which performed miracles, because they had the Grace of the saints who wore them. For this reason, the Church pays her honorable veneration, as well as to the Holy Wood of the Cross of the Lord.

The Holy Belt has the special grace to cure the infertility of childless couples and cancer patients with a ribbon that has previously been blessed and is then worn by infertile women and patients.