Maria Menounos was in Greece, but her purpose was not only to have fun, as evidenced by her new post on Instagram.
The famous presenter travelled to her country to visit Agios Nectarios in Aegina. In a post she made on her personal account, she explained that she wanted to thank the Saint, whom she considers the patron of her family, for the miracles and healings he blessed them with.
She prayed, she says, for people suffering from cancer, as she herself had been diagnosed with the disease. In fact, he described the moment he knelt before the tomb of Saint Nectarios.
As she captioned her post, it was a chilling moment for her as she heard knocks from inside the tomb, an answer from the Saint to her prayers.
In particular, she wrote: "My trip to greece wasn’t all about island hopping and fun. I had a mission. I have dreamed about going to Aegina. For those of you who don’t know about it- Aegina is a small island in the Gulf of Greece, located just 16 miles southwest of Athens. Saint Nektarios, the patron saint of the island, was a prominent figure in the Greek Orthodox Church in the early 20th century and is known for his healing miracles. Saint Nektarios is considered a patron saint for people who are suffering from diseases; such as cancer, heart trouble, joint pain, epilepsy, arthritis and more. Ever since my mom and I were diagnosed with brain tumors friends would tell us they were going there to pray for us. We attended St. Nectarios church in California but going to his church in Greece was always the dream. I wanted to say thank you for all the miracles and healings we have been blessed with. It was our first stop on the trip. They say the faithful can hear St. Nectarios in the tomb. As soon as I kneeled down I heard knocking. Faint knocking noises. I asked Joanna our friend guiding us if that was him and she said yes. But I couldn’t believe it. I stayed ear to the tomb for a long time. I prayed to St. Nectarios and said please make it undeniable. I don’t want to leave here unsure if I heard you. As I was praying for the people in my life with cancer I heard a massive bang and started screaming I hear him! It was definitely undeniable. I sobbed with joy. It was so emotional as I feel I have such a connection with him and this just made me feel even more grateful for our connection. I will never forget this incredibly inspiring moment. I also got to sit on his bed where he used to live and got the chills. Everyone in our group was moved to tears on this visit. If you ever go to Greece, add this to your trip. St. Nectarios helps so many and has granted so many miracles. I like to say believe in the unbelievable because nothing is too far from possible when you believe in St. Nectarios. 🙏❤️🇬🇷"
Maria Menounos has been in Greece for some time now and is sharing the beautiful moments from her vacation with her social media followers.
In the photos she uploaded, Maria poses wearing a fuchsia jumpsuit with the sea and a Greek island in the background.
She captioned the post: "Everyday gets better and better! After so many tough days I’m so grateful for these good days!"
Also, on Saturday, the famous TV presenter uploaded a photo from Santorini, in which she posed with her husband.
Smiling, she posed with Keven Undergaro in her arms and with the island's sunset in the background. Maria Menounos captures the Greek sun in the rest of the snapshots she shared with her 1 million followers.
Expecting her first child through a surrogate mother, Maria Menounos gave an interview at the beginning of the month, where she revealed the great adventure she went through with her health and which she finally managed to overcome.
Menounos and Undergaro met in the 1990s, when they were both working on the same film.
The entertainment industry figure went on to propose to his wife while they both appeared on an episode of The Howard Stern Show in 2016.
The happy couple went on to tie the knot during Fox's live New Year's Eve broadcast in 2017.
The pair's wedding, which took place in Times Square, was also officiated by Steve Harvey.
Menounos and Undergaro also held a second wedding ceremony in Greece the following year.
The two announced that they would be bringing a child into their lives via surrogate during an episode of Live With Kelly and Ryan that aired this past February.
However, the television personality subsequently revealed that she was diagnosed in January with stage 2 pancreatic cancer, which was ultimately treated with surgery.
Menounos recently spoke to Today and opened up about the emotions she felt after receiving her diagnosis.
She recalled thinking: 'How could God finally bless me with a baby after 10 years, and now I'm not going to get to meet her?'
The media figure also stated that she began 'guttural crying' after considering the possibility of not being able to take care of her baby.
The journalist went on to express that, while her treatment was painful, she eventually came to terms with her situation and began focusing on the future birth of her child.
'That's when I shifted and said, "I don't know anything. So why am I going to predict the worst? Why am I going to be thinking the worst?" And so I said we have to take this step by step, and we started to calm down,' she stated.
Menounos concluded by stating that she was excited about her child's upcoming arrival.
'I'm just so lucky that I'm going to be able to hold my baby in the summer. That's the best blessing of all,' she said.
READ MORE: Nia Vardalos: "I couldn't find a job in Hollywood because I was Greek."
