Athanasios of Xirokrini

Saint Athanasios the New Martyr of Xirokrini (1749 - 8 September 1774), also called Athanasios Koulakiotis or Athanasios of Thessalonica, was a young Greek of Koulakia, near Thessalonica, hanged by the Ottomans in the Xirokrini quarter of Thessalonica, at the age of twenty-⁠five, after being falsely accused of having accepted Islam. He is commemorated on 8 (21) September, the day of his martyrdom; the Greek synaxarion gives 7 September.

Youth and studies

He was born in 1749 at Koulakia (today Chalastra), once the seat of the diocese of Campania of Macedonia, hence he is called in synaxaria Athanasios Koulakiotis. The Bulgarian and Serbian sources say that his father, Polychronis, was a prominent citizen, and that he and his mother, Louloudas, were pious Christians. He studied at the Greek School of Thessalonica, where the teacher was Hieromonk Athanasios Parios. Then, to complete his studies, he went, according to the Greek source, to the Athoniada Academy on the Holy Mountain, where the learned teacher Panagiotis Palamas taught (the Serbian and Bulgarian sources say at Vatopedi monastery). He stood out for very good performance. Then he studied Eugenios' Logic, having as teacher Nikolaos Tzartzoulios, sent to Athos by the Ecumenical Patriarchate. When his teacher left the Athoniada for Constantinople, Athanasios followed him. The Serbian and Bulgarian sources say that he was close to Patriarch Philemon of Alexandria. After about two years he returned to the Holy Mountain and in that time visited also his homeland, Koulakia.

Martyrdom

At Koulakia there was a royal meltzihanas (a place of religious gatherings), which he was accustomed to visit when he was in the village, to talk and hear news. One day, with Athanasios there was also an emir. During the conversation, Athanasios, who knew Turkish and Arabic, uttered before the emir the words that sum up the Muslim faith (according to the Serbian and Bulgarian sources, in a dispute with a notable). The emir, hearing the simple utterance of these words, regarded it as a full confession of faith and told Athanasios that he had made the salavat (confession) and had become an Ottoman. Athanasios explained that his mere utterance of the words in which the Ottoman faith is contained did not mean that he accepted it. The Turkish official was not persuaded and handed him to the Ottoman overseer of the meltzihanas, asking him to guard him until he himself returned. The latter went at once to Thessalonica and presented himself before the mullah, to whom he said that Athanasios had confessed their faith, then changed his mind and denied it, mocking it. Then the mullah ordered Athanasios brought to Thessalonica. After some days, the mullah required him brought before him again to examine him. Seeing, however, that Athanasios remained steadfast, he issued a sentence of condemnation against him. The executioners took him and hanged him outside the city, in the Xirokrini region of Thessalonica. The martyrdom of Saint Athanasios, who was twenty-⁠five, took place on 8 September 1774. The Serbian and Bulgarian sources say that at the trial the judge and the aghas present sought with promises and threats to separate him from Christ, but he said that the Christian faith is the only true one and the only one that gives salvation; for this he was thrown into prison, then after some days brought out to trial again, where he stood unmoved. The Bulgarian source says he was condemned to death and beheaded (or hanged) on the Nativity of the Mother of God, 8 September 1774. Christian beggars buried the martyr's body at the place called "Saint Paraskevi"; there, in 1897, the church of Saint Paraskevi was built.

The church and his life

The church of Saint Paraskevi of Xirokrini, on Lagadas Street, was laid on its foundation in 1897 through the care of the Greek Community of Thessalonica, consecrated in 1900 and is a historic monument of the area. The chapel of the New Martyr Athanasios of Xirokrini is in the grove of Saint Paraskevi, near the church, dedicated to the new martyr who suffered at that spot in 1774. In an icon of the new martyrs of Thessalonica (church of Saint Demetrius), on the right can be seen Saint Athanasios of Xirokrini. His life was composed by the venerable Nicodemus the Hagiorite.