The Newly-Revealed Saints of the Orthodox Church

This most likely has been said elsewhere, and more eloquently, but one of the most wondrous aspects of the Orthodox Church, is that She is truly alive (as Christ Is Alive, and will be with us always) and is still producing saints. Many of these holy ones had been forgotten by time and by their fellow humans, but Christ continues to be revealed as "wondrous among His saints". In the future I hope to include more details on them in the future, but you can also search online for more info on them. These are all saints that were unknown until they began to appear and work miracles.

Some of the Newly-revealed Saints (previously unknown or forgotten by the Church, listed below in no particular order):
-St. Phanourios the Great Martyr
-Sts. Raphael, Nicholas and Irene (and those martyred with them) of Lesvos
-St. Ephraim of Nea Makri
-The Holy Ten Martyrs of Megara
-"Oi Agioi Fanentes" ("The Holy Revealed Ones") of Kefalonia
-The Holy Righteous Martyrs of the Monastery of Ntaou, Penteli
-St. Jacob of Hamatoura
-The Newly-revealed Martyrs of Romania (Sts. Zoticus, Atallus, Camisius and Philip)
-St. Evdokimos of Vatopedi
-St. Xenia of Kalamata
-St. Nicholas of Ichthys
-St. Vlasios of Sklavaina

More info on some of them are included below, or on other posts.

-Sts. Raphael, Nicholas and Irene (among others) martyred with them in Thermi, Mytilene (Lesvos, Greece) on April 9th 1463 (though their feast is celebrated the Tuesday of Bright Week.

Icon of the Holy Newly-revealed Martyrs of Thermi, Lesvos (Sts. Raphael, Nicholas, Irene, and others) (Icon courtesy of http://www.eikonografos.com/ used with permission)
  

From GOArch.org (Taken from Holy Transfiguration Monastery):
"Reading:
On the island of Mytilene (Lesbos in ancient times), near the village of Therme, the villagers had a custom of ascending a certain hill on this day to celebrate the Divine Liturgy in the ruins of a small chapel, although no one knew whence the tradition sprang. In the year 1959, certain villagers began seeing persons who spoke to them, first in dreams, then awake, both by day and by night. Through these wondrous appearances, which were given to many people independently, the holy Martyrs Raphael, Archimandrite of the ancient monastery, and Nicholas, his deacon, together with other Saints who had been martyred on the island, told the villagers the whole account of their martyrdom, which had taken place at the hands of the Moslem Turks ten years after the fall of Constantinople, in 1463. The twelve-year-old Irene had been tortured, then burned alive in a large earthenware jar in the presence of her parents. On Tuesday of Renewal Week, Saint Raphael had been tied to a tree and his head sawn off through his jaws; Saint Nicholas had died at the sight of this. Although the feast is celebrated today because it is the day of their martyrdom, through the appearances of the Saints as living persons five hundred years after their martyrdom, it is also a singular testimony to the Resurrection of Christ.

Apolytikion in the Fourth Tone
On Lesbos, ye strove in contest for the sake of Christ God; ye also have hallowed her with the discovery of your relics, O blessed ones. O God-bearer Raphael, with thee, we all honour Nicholas the deacon and Irene the chaste virgin, as our divine protectors, who now intercede with the Lord.

Kontakion in the Fourth Tone
Ye shone on the world like stars first as ascetics, then as athletes slain for Christ, and were translated to the heights through the great torments that ye endured; and them that praise you, ye keep and protect, O Saints."
(taken from: http://goarch.org/chapel/saints_view?contentid=1045&PCode=1PT&D=T&date=4/21/2009)
  

Additional Links:

http://fr-d-serfes.org/writtings/straphael.htm, http://agios-raphael.com/english/kleidara.html, http://ocafs.oca.org/FeastSaintsViewer.asp?SID=4&ID=1&FSID=108897
  

-St. Ephraim the New Hieromartyr of Nea Makri (Attica, Greece), whose feastday is May 5th (Note: Dates given are in the New Calendar)

Icon of St. Ephraim the New Hieromartyr of Nea Makri (Icon courtesy of http://www.eikonografos.com/ used with permission)

From http://agiosefraim.netfirms.com/, Wikipedia, and http://greecepilgrimage.blogspot.com/2008/06/day-4-st-ephraim-and-island-of-tinos.html:
Saint Efraim was born on 14 September 1384 at Trikala place in Greece. He had 7 brothers and sisters and his official name was Constantine Morfis. At the age of 14, after his mother's advice, to flee the forced military participation from the Turks ( Greece was under Turkish military command), he went to a Greek Orthodox Monastery at Mount Amomos in Attica state, which was called the "Monastery of the Annunciation". He eventually served as a monk and then as a priest. In 1424, the monastery was invaded by Turkish forces, who killed all the monastery priests and monks. St Efraim was out of the monastery at the time at his cave in the mountain praying, and when he returned, he saw his teachers and all the people at the monastery slaughtered. He buried them all, cried deeply and prayed for their souls. On the 14th of September 1425, the barbarians came again and found Saint Efraim at the Monastery. They arrested him and tortured him for 8 1/2 months with great anger, like the same torture which they did to the Saints George, Demetrios, etc. Finally they tied him to an old mullberry tree upside down. They pierced his belly with a big flaming stick, and finally, transfixed his body with iron nails. Saint Efraim, despite the flames which were burning his body, was praying to God. He finally left his last breath on 5th May 1426 at 9 am , killed with force and range by the Turks. He was only 42 years old.
In 1950, St. Ephraim appeared to a nun (Makaria) who had moved to the ruined monastery of Amomos (in order to help rebuild the church). He revealed to her where to dig for his relics, along with the story of his martyrdom. The monastery which currently houses the Saint's relics, along with the mullberry tree where the Saint was martyred, has become a great site of pilgrimage in Greece, and St. Ephraim continues to work many miracles.


(His Apolytikion in Greek)
ΑΠΟΛΥΤΙΚΙΟ Ἦχος α’ Τῆς ἐρήμου πολίτης
Ἐν ὄρει τῶν Ἀμῶμων ὥσπερ ἥλιος ἐλάμψας καί μαρτυρικῶς, Θεοφόρε, πρός Θεόν ἐξεδήμησας, βαρβάρων ὑποστάς ἐπιδρομάς, Ἐφραίμ Μεγαλομάρτυς τοῦ Χριστοῦ , διά τοῦτο ἀναβλύζεις χάριν ἀεί, τοῖς εὐλαβῶς βοῶσι σοι, δόξα τῷ δεδωκότι σοι ἰσχύν, δόξα τῷ σέ θαυμαστώσαντι, δόξα τῷ ἐνεργοῦντι διά Σοῦ, πᾶσιν ἰάματα.

This icon is apparently the last icon written by Photi Kontouglou. He prayed to St. Ephraim to reveal himself to the iconographer in order to properly depict him. This (as you can see from the icon above) is the prototype for all other icons of St. Ephraim. (taken from: http://greecepilgrimage.blogspot.com/2008/06/day-4-st-ephraim-and-island-of-tinos.html)

  
See the following posts for information on the life of St. Ephraim (http://full-of-grace-and-truth.blogspot.com/2009/05/st-ephraim-great-martyr-of-nea-makri.html) and on the Uncovering of St. Ephraim's Relics (http://full-of-grace-and-truth.blogspot.com/2009/01/uncovering-of-holy-relics-of-st-ephraim.html)
  
-St. Phanourios the Newly-revealed Great-martyr of Rhodes (Greece), whose feastday is August 27th.

Icon of St. Phanourios the Great Martyr with scenes from his life (Icon courtesy of http://www.eikonografos.com/ used with permission)

From http://www.orthodox.net/saints/st-phanourios-life-hymns.html:
Life Of The Great Martyr Phanourios
Newly revealed, of Rhodes
Apolytikion (Troparion). Tone 4.
A heavenly song of praise is chanted radiantly upon the earth; the company of Angels now joyfully celebrateth an earthly festival, and from on high with hymns they praise thy contests, and from below the Church doth proclaim the Heavenly glory which thou hast found by thy labors and struggles, O glorious Phanourios.

Kontakion. Tone 3.Thou didst save the Priests from an ungodly captivity, and didst break their bonds by Divine power, O godly-minded one; thou didst bravely shame the audacity of the tyrants, and didst gladden the orders of the Angels, O Great Martyr. Wherefore, we honor thee, O divine warrior, glorious Phanourios.
  
"Phanourios bestoweth light upon all the faithful, Even though he long lay in the darkness of the earth."
  
From when Phanourios, the splendid athlete of the Lord and invincible martyr, came, and of what parentage he was, and even in what age he lived and under the reign of which emperors he waged his struggle and fought his fight, we have been unable to ascertain; for the account of his life has been lost owing to the vicissitudes of time, as many other things also have been lost or become obscure and unclear.

This only do we know, that when the Hagarenes ruled the renowned isle of Rhodes, having conquered it because of our sins, he that became ruler of the island wished to rebuild the ramparts of the city that past sieges had ravaged. On the outskirts of the fortress were several ruined dwellings, that had been abandoned by reason of their association with the old fortress, which was located a furlong to the south. From the ruins the Hagarenes were wont to gather stones for their construction.

It so happened that, while excavating and reinforcing that place, they discovered a most beautiful church, which was partly buried in ruins. Excavating as far as the floor of the temple, they found many holy icons, all decayed and crumbling, yet the icon of the holy Phanourios was whole and entire; indeed, it seemed as though it had been painted but that very day. And when this all-venerable temple was uncovered, together with its sacred icons, the hierarch of that place, Nilus by name, a man of great sanctity and learning, came and read the inscription of the icon, which said, "The Holy Phanourios."

The saint was depicted upon the icon as follows: He was shown as a young man, arrayed as a soldier, holding a cross in his right hand, and at the upper part of the cross there was a lighted taper. Round about the perimeter of the icon were twelve scenes from the only one's martyrdom, which showed the saint being examined before the magistrate; then in the midst of a multitude of soldiers, who were beating him about the mouth and head with stones; then stretched out upon the ground while the soldiers flogged him; then, stripped naked while they rent his flesh with iron hooks; then incarcerated in a dungeon, and again standing before the tyrant's tribunal; then being burned with candles; then bound to a rack; then cast amidst wild beasts; then crushed with a great rock; then standing before idols holding burning coals in his hands, whilst a demon nearby wept and lamented; and finally he is shown standing erect in the midst of a fiery furnace, his hands, as were, uplifted towards Heaven.

From the twelve scenes depicted upon the icon, the holy hierarch perceived that the saint was a martyr. Then straightway that good and pious man sent deputation's to the rulers of that place, asking that they consign to him that temple for restoration; but this they declined to do.

Therefore, the hierarch traveled to Constantinople alone and there obtained a decree empowering him to rebuild the church; thus it was restored to that state in which it can be seen even to this day, outside the city. And it has become the source of many miracles, of which I shall relate one for the profit of many, that all who love and venerate the saint may rejoice.

At that time the isle of Crete had no Orthodox hierarch, but a Latin bishop, for it was ruled then by the Venetians, who had shrewdly refused to permit an Orthodox hierarch to be consecrated whenever one died. This they did with evil intent, thinking that with time they could thus convert the Orthodox to the papist dogmas. If Orthodox men wished to obtain ordination, they had to go to Cythera.

It came to pass that there went forth from Crete three deacons, traveling to Crythera to be ordained priests by the hierarch there; and when this had been accomplished, and they were returning to their own country, the Hagarenes captured them at sea and brought them to Rhodes, where they sold as slaves to other Hagarenes. The newly consecrated priests lamented their misfortune day and night.

But in Rhodes, they heard tell of the great wonders wrought by the Greatmartyr Phanourios, and straightway they made fervent supplication to the saint, beseeching him with tears to deliver them from their bitter bondage. And this they did each separately, without knowing ought of what the others were doing, for they had each been sold to a different master.

Now, in accordance with the providence of God, however, they were all three permitted by their masters to go and worship at the temple of the saint; and, guided by God, they came all together and fell down before the sacred icon of the saint; and, guided by God, they came all together and fell down before the sacred icon of the saint, watering the ground with the streams of tears, entreating him to deliver them out of the hands of the Hagarenes.

Then they departed, somewhat consoled, each to his own master, hoping that they would obtain mercy, which in fact did come to pass; for the holy one had compassion upon their tears and hearkened unto their supplication. That night he appeared to the Hagarenes who were the masters of the captive priests, and commanded them to permit the servants of God to go and worship in his temple lest he bring dreadful destruction upon them. But the Hagarenes, thinking the matter sorcery, loaded them with chains and made their torments more onerous.
Then the Greatmartyr Phanourios went to them that night and brought them forth from their bonds, and encouraged them, saying that the following day he would, by all means, free them. He then appeared to the Hagarenes and, reproaching them with severity, said: "If by tomorrow ye have not set your servants at liberty, ye shall behold the power of God!" Thus saying, the holy one vanished. And, O, the wonder! As many as inhabited those houses all arose blind and paralyzed, tormented with the most dreadful pangs, the least with the greatest.
But, though bedridden, with the help of their kinfolk they considered what to do, and finally decided to send for the captives. And when the three wretched priests were come, they inquired of them if they were able to heal them; and they answered: "We shall beseech God. Let His will be done."

But the saint appeared again to the Hagarenes on the third night and said to them: "If ye do not send to my house letters of manumission for the priests, ye shall have neither the health, nor the light [of sight] which ye desire." And when they had again conferred with their kinfolk and friends, each one composed a letter of emancipation for his own slave, which were left before the icon of the saint. And O, the wonder!

Even before the messengers sent to the temple returned, those, who before were blind and paralyzed, were healed; and marveling they set the priests free and dispatched them to their homeland amicably. The priests, though, had a copy of the icon of St. Phanourios painted and took it with them to their own country, and each year the memory of the holy one is piously celebrated amongst them. By the prayers of the martyr may Christ God have mercy upon us. Amen!
Orthodox Life., Holy Trinity Monastery, Jordanville, New York., No.4.1982., pp. 11-12 & 20) "
  
-The Holy, Newly-revealed Martyrs of Megara (Greece), whose feastday is August 16th.

Icon of the Holy Ten Martyrs of Megara (taken from: http://www.pigizois.gr/)

See: http://full-of-grace-and-truth.blogspot.com/2008/10/holy-ten-martyrs-of-megara-greece.html for more information, based on a preliminary translation from http://www.pigizois.gr/.

-The Agioi Fanentes (The Holy Revealed Saints): Sts. Gregory, Theodore and Leon, whose feast is celebrated on the Sunday of All Saints

Icon of the Agioi Fanentes (The Holy Revealed Saints): Sts. Gregory, Theodore and Leon from the Church of the Most-Holy Theotokos, Sami, Kefalonia (taken from: http://axrhstou.blogspot.com/2009/02/blog-post_12.html)
  

They were soldiers in the 4th Century who finished their lives as monastics on the island of Kefalonia, Greece. Their bodies were left unburied for hundreds of years, when they revealed themselves to a rich man of the island. He then found their incorrupt and fragrant Relics and built a monastery in their honor. See a separate post for more information: http://full-of-grace-and-truth.blogspot.com/2009/02/oi-agioi-fanentes-holy-revealed-saints.html.
  

-St. Xenia the Great-Martyr of Kalamata, whose feastday is May 3rd

Icon of St. Xenia the Great Martyr of Kalamata (taken from: http://www.rel.gr/photo/displayimage.php?album=26&pos=90)

"One of the sweetest saints in all of Orthodoxy dwelt in relative obscurity for seventeen centuries until she chose, at the bidding of God, to reveal herself to a humble priest in the bustling city of New York. This priest was Father George Nasis, the priest of the Greek Archdiocese Annunciation Church.

In one of Father Nasis customary periods of meditation and prayer there appeared before him a very lovely girl who announced herself as Xenia, a martyred saint of the Church. Not only did she reveal herself for the first time in 1700 years, but she requested of the good priest that he paint her likeness, and that in the icon her hands appear clasping a cross.

At first Father Nasis kept the incident to himself, not wanting to be ridiculed. Finally, however, he could contain himself no longer. Upon telling his superiors, scholars went in search of St. Xenia’s ancient manuscripts in a vain attempt to find her name mentioned. At long last, St. Xenia’s name was found in an ecclesiastical work where she is described as having long, golden-blond hair, blue eyes, and features which made her outstandingly beautiful. She was born in 291 in the town of Kalamata, in the Peloponnese region of Greece, and was raised with an abiding faith in Jesus Christ. At maturity, the depth of her faith outshone her physical beauty.

The Magistrate Domitianos of Kalamata was taken with Xenia, and offered her a proposal of marriage. Xenia, however, declined this proposal because Domitianos refused to accept Jesus Christ, clinging instead to the idols of the ancient past. In an effort to change Xenia’s mind, Domitianos had her jailed on spurious charges, with the stipulation that she could be released if she accepted his offer. However, when months of incarceration and abuse failed to budge the devout Xenia, she was put to death. Shortly thereafter she was sainted in recognition of the many miracles attributed to her. In the year 318 the Feast Day of May 3 was bestowed upon her.

The icon of St. Xenia still adorns the Annunciation Church and, for more than forty years, has been the site of miracles." (taken from: http://www.evangelismos.org/saint_xenia.html; also see: http://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2009/05/saint-xenia-of-kalamata-newly-revealed.html)
  

 Icon of St. Xenia of Kalamata (taken from: http://www.evangelismos.org/saint_xenia.html)

  

Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us! Amen!