St George’s Church

The Church of St. George was built in 1870. Craftsmen from Santorini undertook the construction of the Temple. For the coating they used theraic earth, a material that creates a very hard surface. Ancient marbles and columns from a Byzantine temple, found in the area of the cemetery, were used in the courtyard and the entrance to the courtyard of the Temple. In 1890 the iconostasis was constructed and the icon of St. George was placed. The icon bears the signatures of 6 pirate smugglers who had helped financially in the construction of the church. Old icons of St. John and St. Nicholas were also placed.

The day that the Orthodox Church dedicates to St. George is the day of the 23rd of April, unless it is within Lent, which, as is well known, no saints are celebrated during this period, in which case the day is moved to the day after Easter. On the day of St. George, before the end of the service, there was a procession of his image. Believers and priests would accompany the icon to the edge of the village, chanting and praising it to sanctify the village. After the end of the service, a volunteer, in honour of the saint, was responsible for providing a meal to all those present on the island. The attendees were usually in their hundreds. The supply of materials and the preparation of the meal would begin days in advance with the help of many volunteers. Volunteers helped with the preparation, cooking, serving and finally cleaning the place. The meal included braised goat with spaghetti, tripe, salad, wine and refreshments. Cooking was done with wood, in a shaped area, next to the church, called Mangipio, from the Byzantine word 'Mangipos' meaning 'Baker - Cook'. Serving was done in a shaped area behind the church, on long tables where all the people present sat together. At the end of the meal, the next worshipper would take over to organise the next year's meal. The custom has been preserved to the present day, with few modifications.

During the period 1940 - 44 Koufonisia was under Italian administration, based in Amorgos. Despite the fact that the Italians, in order to feed their troops, had requisitioned the production of farmers and stockbreeders, they allowed the Koufonisians to obtain what they needed for the meal of St. George. On Friday, October 1, 1970, at 2:00 p.m., the new parish priest of the church, Father Efstathios Eleftheriou or Papa Stathis, the man who for 36 consecutive years would fight for the maintenance and improvement of the churches, disembarked at the pier in the Spilia area. In 1973, after a significant increase in the number of faithful who want to take over the St. George's meal, it is decided jointly at the end of the meal, to hold a lottery with the participation of volunteers, to identify the Panigiras, who will take over the organization of the next year's meal. The previous year's Pagan would not be allowed to participate in the draw, thus giving others the opportunity. A second draw would appoint a replacement, in case of the physical inability of the first draw. The meal consisted of braised beef, French fries, tripe, meatballs, cheese, salad, refreshments, wine and beer. The braised beef and tripe is cooked on wood as in the past and remains so to this day, the fries in electric fryers.

In 1975 a new route of the procession of the icon of St. George is decided. The procession from the church will pass through the bath area, where it will be accompanied by the fishing boats of the island. It will continue to the harbour where there will be a holy mass and around the village it will end up at the church, where two believers will hold the icon up high for those present to pass underneath, asking for the blessing of the Saint. In 1980 the church and the courtyard were renovated. The renovation was undertaken by the Amorgian architect, an expert in traditional buildings, Stefanos Nomikos, and the masters were Yannis Skarlatos and his brothers. Inside and outside, the old plaster was removed and new plaster was applied. The roof of the church's kitchen (Maggipeio), which was made of shingles and clay soil, was removed and a new one of reinforced concrete was installed. Following a donation by Maria Prasinos Psarrou, the restaurant area was expanded, an office space was created for administrative needs, and public toilets were built for the needs of the pilgrims. In 1997 the frescoes were restored. The work will be completed the following year. 1998.

In 2000, after a request by Pope Stathis to Archbishop Alexios of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, he hands over to Archbishop Alexios, shaking with emotion, a small part of the relics of Saint George. The deposition of the relics in the church was accompanied by bell ringing, the throwing of fireworks and the cheers of the obviously excited residents of Koufonissi. Since then, on the day of Agios Georgios, the remains are placed in the vessel of the epitaph, and decorated with flowers. After the service there is a procession in the presence of His Eminence the Metropolitan of Thera, Amorgos and the Islands.