Constantine of Hydra

Holy New Martyr Constantine of Hydra was born on the island of Hydra in 1770; his father was named Michael and his mother Marina. At eighteen he left Hydra for Rhodes, where he entered the service of the Turkish ruler Hasan Kapetan. There he denied the faith and took the name Hasan, in honour of his master. For three years he received great honours and was content.

Later he felt remorse for denying Christ. He gave alms to Orthodox Christians, prayed with bitter tears, and showed great reverence to the Orthodox priests he met. He resolved to atone for his sin by martyrdom. He found a spiritual father, to whom he confessed, asking for his blessing to seek martyrdom. Seeing how young he was, the spiritual father advised him to wait. Constantine obeyed and left Rhodes, travelling to Krimi, then to Constantinople, and from there to the Holy Mountain. At Iviron Monastery he prepared himself for martyrdom. With the blessing of the fathers he returned to Rhodes, presented himself to the ruler and courageously confessed Christ. The tortures he endured were horrible. Finally he was hanged on 14 November 1800.

Today, at the saint's birthplace on Hydra, there is a beautiful church dedicated to him, where his holy relics are kept. A fragment of his relics is in the "Quick to Hear" icon at the church of Saint Tikhon's Monastery in Pennsylvania. He is commemorated on 14 November (new style).