The Center for Public Health, Disease Prevention and Scientific Research, Panagia Philanthropini, (Our Lady Who Loves Humankind) is located in northern Greece, near the town of Ormylia, Chalkidike. The mother monastery, the Sacred Convent of the Annunciation, is a large monastic community, with over 150 nuns from various nations, the majority of whom hold university degrees. The Convent, is a dependency of the Monastery of Simonos Petras on Mount Athos.

Following the sacred monastic tradition of the Eastern Orthodox Church, in 1982, The Very Reverend Father, Elder Aimilianos, founded the Center of Panagia Philanthropini as the Convent’s philanthropic institution and sacred place of public pilgrimage. The mission of the Center is to comfort and alleviate the suffering of human beings with emphasis on the poor and working class public without preference to race, religion, gender, or creed. The Center is dedicated to spreading the message of God’s love and saving grace to all human beings. This message takes the form of medical, educational, scientific research, charitable and spiritual services and ministries. These constitute the means by which the Center seeks to serve the needs of modern human beings in the Twenty First Century and beyond.

Nestled in the middle of the beautiful courtyard is the Church of Panagia Philanthropini, which has been built in the tradition of the monasteries on Mount Athos and which constitutes a place of pilgrimage.

The Center of Panagia Philanthropini’s complex is a beautiful traditional Byzantine structure of more than 8,000 square meters harmoniously combining Eastern Orthodox Monastery architecture and modern state of the art technology into a beautiful and natural setting. The facilities include a modern multilingual conference center, and a high tech laboratory for medical research.

Activities

The Cancer Research Center Laboratory (equipment list) is equipped with state of the art spectroscopy, biological and chemical analytical equipment, virtual reality and artificial intelligence neural networks computer systems, modern high powered microscopes, cryogenic freezers and other devices necessary for the high level of research conducted. (Departments of the same laboratory are used for the study of ancient works of art also.)

The Center of Panagia Philanthropini has a modern mammography and radiology unit, radiation levels measurement equipment, a biochemical hematology laboratory, an orthodontic unit, an artificial intelligence cytology system, advanced mother board computer system and automated as well as hard copy archive system. In addition, the Center complex houses clinics, lecture halls, meeting rooms, physician and administrator offices as well as a guest house that can accommodate more than 30 persons.     

Since 1991, Panagia Philanthropini has organized and continuously augments its state of the art medical diagnostic, public health and scientific research Center. The Center of Panagia Philanthropini Divisions are:

At the Center of Panagia Philanthropini, annually more than 18,000 persons undergo cancer early detection and screening examinations. Over 36.000 persons participate in health educational programs at the Center, whereas more than 50.000 locals and 200.000 tourists are reached through multi-media health educational materials and Television and Radio broadcasts developed by the Center. All services are rendered completely free of charge. The Center is funded through private contributions and with limited support from the European Union. The Center complex was built through private donations and partial European Union support together with modest funding by the Greek Ministries of Health and Interior.

Panagia Philanthropini is also an Educational Center with classes for unemployed youth to acquire relevant working skills. Varied fields of education are offered such as: icon painting for unemployed women and modern farming methodology for unemployed young men; computer data entry and other systems. The Educational Center gives a stipend to the more than 60 students that participate in these classes at any one time. The focus is on providing education in practical areas in order to provide youth with the tools for fulfilling and self satisfying employment.

• The continued spread of the message of God’s love to all human beings according to the tradition of the Eastern Orthodox Church by the provision of comfort, support and the alleviation of suffering to human beings with emphasis on the poor and working class public regardless of nationality, race, gender, age or creed.
• Continued scientific state of the art technology research, study, enterprise and endeavor in a spirit of respect for creation; conducted with humility and awe before God’s love, providence and mighty works in the natural order of the Universe.
• The augmented operation and further development of the Cancer Early Detection and Screening European Reference Center and Center of Excellence. The expansion of this successful enterprise into the area of colon cancer early detection.
• The augmented operation and further expansion of the Cancer Research Center. The establishment of research chairs and the ability to bestow degrees on fellows with emphasis on promising young scientists that are socially disadvantaged.
• The establishment of a Children’s Medical Diagnostic Center of Excellence.
• The creation and establishment of an international scientific and medical partnership in the field of Geriatrics.
• The continued operation of the youth health education and research unit concentrating on primary prevention regarding AIDS, substance abuse, nutrition and environmental health.
• The expansion of the Humanitarian Aid Center activities as the need arises.
• The continuation of services for the permanent food kitchen ministering to the poor and poverty stricken.
• The continuation and refinement of the educational center for unemployed youth.

The objective of the Center of Panagia Philanthropini is to attain these goals in cooperation with the finest experts in the various medical, scientific, educational and social disciplines. This will be accomplished by further enhancement of the Center’s existing relationships and cooperation with institutions of higher learning in the United States, Eastern and Western Europe, the European Union, as well as private philanthropic and medical education institutions such as Project HOPE for Central and Eastern Europe. In this way the institution endeavors to be a gateway of exchange of scientific knowledge and medical expertise between East and West. Panagia Philanthropini seeks to be a bridge of faith between peoples and persons of good will in the spirit of love as expressed by the Holy Fathers of the Eastern Orthodox Church. This cooperation in an attitude of Christian commitment is basic to the Center’s intentions to insure the highest standard of excellence in preventive medical diagnosis and human service, cancer research, public health, humanitarian aid, scientific research, study and education into the twenty first century and beyond.