Damascene of the Lavra

Venerable Martyr Damascene of the Lavra was a monk from Constantinople, born with the name Diamantes, who died by beheading on 13 November 1681 after confessing Christ before the Turks.

His parents, Kyriakos and Kyriake, lived in the Galata district. Orphaned young and without guidance, he became undisciplined. One day he was caught in an unlawful act and, to save himself, accepted Islam. Later he came to his senses and repented of his denial of Christ. He fled to the Holy Mountain and became a monk at the Great Lavra with the name Damascene. For twelve years he struggled in prayer and asceticism and was tonsured into the Great Schema. At last he revealed to his spiritual father his desire for martyrdom. Receiving his blessing, he cut his hair and dressed as a sailor.

In the church of Hagia Sophia, then turned into a mosque, the monk Damascene made the sign of the Cross and proclaimed Christ the true God. Since the Muslims did nothing to him, he went to the mosque of Sultan Mehmed and repeated his confession, calling the Muslims ignorant and deceived. Those who heard him thought him insane. The next day he went to the vizier's courtyard and cried out to those there: "Your faith is not true. Christ is the true God, and only the faith of Christ is true." He was seized, beaten and driven away. He proclaimed Christ in other places too, but everyone took him for mad. On a Sunday he went to the Tophane mosque, full of Muslims, and was seized and beaten again, but this time he was sent to the kadi and then to the Grand Vizier, Kara Mustafa. Seeing that he would not abandon his faith, the vizier sentenced him to death.

On 13 November 1681 he was led to the Phanar and made to kneel before the gates of the Patriarchate. Thanking God for allowing him to fulfil the exploit of martyrdom, he bent his neck and was beheaded. The relics of the New Martyr Damascene were taken to Chalki and enshrined in the church of the Holy Trinity.

He is commemorated on 13 November.