This monastery is located around 15klm. From Rhodes town, to the west of Kalithies village
and it is devoted to Virgin Mary the Merciful. The church is single-naved and has a slanted tiled
roof. The wooden, carved altarpiece is still intact as well as some parts of the old frescoes dated
back to 1781. A high bell tower imposes over the church with manual tolling bell and arched
base.
The monastery is rich in history – it was built circa 1710 – 1730 according to documents. The
icon with the inscription “VIRGIN MARY THE MERCIFUL, OF KALITHIES” bears in tiny script on
its base the inscription “IN MEMORIA OF YOUR HUMBLE SERVANT NEOPHYTOS”. According
to father Michael Koutsonouris, Neophytos was a monk from Symi and he was the one who
painted the frescoes on the monastery walls. There is another inscription attesting to this, also
bearing a date: 1791. According to the church committee’s records, in 1791 some restoration
works took place so it is possible that the church had been built decades earlier.
The nun Agathoniki is also buried in the monastery courtyard, having taken care of it for many
decades. She was the soul of this small church.
Every year, on August 11, the congregation comes together in the Holy monastery of Virgin
Mary the Merciful. The church is inside the courtyard of an old military camp. A few years ago the
military stopped using the camp and now the church is again open for the public. Our website
aims to promote its major religious and cultural value.
