Rajchica monastery and Bishop’s finger Traditional Cache

There are many interesting things to see and learn in this holy place. Here, in this church, as priceless relic are kept a piece of the cross of Jesus and a small part of the hand of Saint George the Victorious. This church is also famous by the icon of St. Georgi the Victorious, a replica of an original from Athos in Greece (a holy land on Chalkidiki peninsula). There is a legend about this icon: one night, this icon mysteriously “came” to the monastery. A bishop, who lived that time in the monastery, did not believed that the icon could done such a thing. To convinced himself in this miracle he came to see the icon and he started to touch the icon with his fingers. When he touched the nose of St. Georgi, his finger remained stuck (glued) on the nose of St. George. St. Georgi revealed himself to the bishop saying: because you did not believe, it will forever remain a mark of your disbelief on this icon. The bishop’s finger should be cut and the piece of his finger stayed on the icons nose…

The Church was painted in the period from 1840 to 1852. The frescoes on the outside of the Church are just stunning. The church was painted and decorated by the painter Michael and monk Daniel from the nearby St. Jovan Bigorski Monastery. The lower parts were painted by their student Dicho from the village Tresonche.

A view on Debar Lake

Until 1945 in the monastery lived monk fraternity (brotherhood). Then communist authorities banned the activities of monks and the monastery was turned into stables. By 1999 the monastery was almost ruined, but thanks to the initiative of the abbot of the St. Jovan Bigorski Monastery, Archimandrite Parthenius, the monastery was renewed. Today in this Monastery is renewed a female monastic sisterhood, which has a sister relationship with the Monastery "Nativity of the Virgin Mary" from Boston, USA.

Inside the Church of St. Georgi the Victorious

The Monastery, i.e. the nun sisterhood, is famous also by hand made “miter” (mitra, crown, part of the liturgical vestments of Orthodox bishops). These mitras wear all Macedonian bishops, but also bishops in Bulgaria, Serbia, Greece, Romania, and even the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinopolis.

St. George the Victorious is now one of the most beautiful Macedonian monasteries. Here every year traditionally is celebrated the St. George's Day (6. May), which is also the Rajchica village patron day. On this day people from Debar, Ohrid, Gostivar, Bitola, Skopje, Kochani and other places attend the celebration.

How to get there?

This Monastery can be reached from two directions: from the city of Struga, or from Mavrovi Anovi village (at Mavrovo Lake). At the site R1 you can park the car.

The cache is a logbook in a folio. Be extremely careful not to push it to deep in the hole!!!

Sources: Wikipedia, other internet sources. Photos: Internet and original (by Galejnik)