Saints Raphael, Nicholas and Irene of Lesbos

Raphael, Nicholas and Irene of Lesbos (Greek: Ραφαήλ, Νικόλαος και Ειρήνη) are venerated as saints and "new martyrs" (Άγιοι νεομάρτυρες) in the Orthodox Church.[2][3][4] According to a 20th-century legend, they lived on the island of Lesbos in the 15th century and were killed by Turkish raiders in April 1463. Raphael is said to have been the abbot of a monastery of Karyes, near the village of Thermi, Nicholas a deacon in the same monastery, and Irene the 12-year-old daughter of the local mayor.

Saints Raphael, Nicholas and Irene
Icon of Raphael, Nicholas and Irene.
New Martyrs
Venerated inEastern Orthodox Church
Canonized1970, Istanbul by Ecumenical Patriarchate[1]
Major shrineHoly monastery of Saints Raphael Nicholas and Irene, Lesbos
FeastBright Tuesday

The story of the three saints first emerged in 1959, when local villagers reported seeing them in their dreams and in miraculous visions, during which the saints revealed their stories to them. The supposed site of their martyrdom was subsequently excavated and human remains believed to be those of the saints were found. These relics are today kept in a monastery that was re-built on the site. It is situated at the northeastern part of the island, at a distance of 12 km from Mytilene and 3 km of Thermi, on a hill called Karyes.[5] The saints were canonized in 1970.[1] The monastery has become a prominent center of pilgrimage.

References
  1. Protocol of the Ecumenical Patriarchate for the canonization of Sts Raphael, Nicholas and Irene
  2. Orthodox Church in America website, article about New Martyr Raphael of Lesbos
  4. Article about the three new martyrs in Orthodox Wiki
  5. Monastery of Sts Raphael, Nikolaos and Irene, Historical notes regarding the discovery of the relics of the newmartyrs
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