Saturday, May 13, 2023

Abbess Theonymphi, Who Was Once a Famous Greek Singer, Has Reposed



Back in 2011, I wrote about a famous Greek singer from the 1960's named Mary Alexopoulou, who at the age of 43, after the tragic death of her daughter, decided to dedicate her life to God and upon tonsure as a nun took the name Theonymphi. You can read that article here.

Abbess Theonymphi Alexopoulou, Founder and Abbess of the Sacred Hesychasterion of the Dormition of the Theotokos in Koropi of Attica, reposed in the Lord today, plunging her hundreds of spiritual children and the small sisterhood that was recently created near her into sorrow.

The Eldress was a bright example of repentance and conversion in Christ, imitating the great holy figures by giving up a worldly successful life that most people would describe as a fairy tale, since in the 1960s-70s she was involved in the Greek pentagram, in the cinema (she appeared in two Greek films: Νυχτοπερπατήματα and Φίφης ο ακτύπητος), and in the theater, while she brought many awards to Greece from beauty pageants (in 1961) and music festivals around the world. Her big hit was "The Bambola" in 1968, an international hit for singer Patty Pravo. This was followed by the Thessaloniki Light Song Festival in 1966, with the song "Panigyri", which won the first prize.