Kampos

The monastery of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Xobourgo

This monastery is the most important pilgrimage of Greek Catholics. It was founded in the middle of the 17th century by a group of Jesuit monks who were settled in the village of Kastro where they build the church of Agia Sofia.

When the Turks occupied the Kastro, the monks moved in the settlement of Borgo and they built a new church of Agia Sofia (around 1720). In 1837 the Jesuits built a monastery dedicated to Agios Joseph in the village of Loutra. Towards the end of the 19th century, with the contribution of the Orthodox monastery in Loutra and the villagers’ donations, the monks restored the old church of Agia Sofia and named it the church of The Sacred Heart of Jesus.

After some years of abandonment, the church was restored and grew bigger, taking its today form. Apart from the church, the monastery offers cells for accommodation and a small restaurant. In the yard you can admire the statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus by I. Filippotis. The statue was created in 1950 and is dedicated to the Catholics who gave their life during the Wars in the period 1912-1950.

Every second Sunday on July believers from all Greece gather here to celebrate their Faith.

This beautiful village with the medieval arches has got the majority of the island’s dovecotes.