George of Attalia

Holy New Martyr George of Attalia, also called George of Krini, was born to pious and wealthy parents in the province of Attaleia (Antalya) in Asia Minor. On their property they had even built a church dedicated to Saint Katherine. One day, when George was an infant playing near his home, he was seen by Aga Brusali, the governor of the area, who lacked a male child and wanted to take him. George was renamed Mehmed, raised by the governor, and when he came of age given in marriage to his daughter, with whom he had a son.

Then George's true parents persuaded an Orthodox Christian named Maria, a servant in the Aga's home, to reveal to George his true origin and how he came to be raised in the Aga's home and become a Muslim. Hearing it, George was deeply moved, and he decided that he and Maria would pretend to go on a pilgrimage to Mecca but went instead to the Holy Land. After two years there he went to Krini (Cesme) in Asia Minor, where he married an Orthodox Christian named Helen Mavrogiannis. Meanwhile the Greek Revolution had broken out, and the Ottomans had slaughtered nearly the entire population of Chios, across from Krini. Krini was used as a shipping area to send irregular Ottoman troops to Chios, and George took advantage of this: because of his knowledge of Turkish he became a groom to Aga Suleiman the governor, and later heard that his former father-⁠in-⁠law, Aga Brusali, was coming to Krini with troops to put down the revolutionaries.

Maria warned George of Brusali's coming and urged him to flee, but George, who secretly wanted to die a martyr, told her he would take advantage of the situation. He accompanied Aga Suleiman to the government building, helped him dismount and held his horse until his return. Brusali, in the building, happened to look out, saw his son-⁠in-⁠law in such a lowly position and was furious at Suleiman. George then entered and stood before his father-⁠in-⁠law, who said: "Mehmed, why did you use guile and deceit to leave your home? Didn't you feel sorry for your wife? Didn't you even feel sorry for your son?" George answered: "You are mistaken. I am not Mehmed, but George, and I wish to die an Orthodox Christian." "Infidel," said the Aga, "don't you bear the badge since infancy? Haven't I brought you up as my son and given you to my daughter, and so many other good things, and now you tell me I am mistaken?" George answered: "Yes, you are mistaken, because you did not give birth to me, nor have I known you as a father, nor am I named Mehmed, but George, an Orthodox Christian." The Aga had him imprisoned and beaten, hoping to change his attitude.

A preacher in the area, also named Father George, learned of him and asked the leaders of the Orthodox community to send two Orthodox Christians to jail for supposedly owing money, so that he could communicate with George through them and give him moral support and Holy Communion. In prison George was tormented with his feet in stocks and a heated iron device placed on his head, among other things, and bore it with steadfast faith and courage. Hearing that death by hanging was imminent, he asked that Father George bring him Holy Communion quickly. The next day he was taken to the house of a prominent Orthodox Christian, Pantelakes Pharmakis, and given a last chance to return to Islam, but he refused. With the noose around his neck he turned east and prayed: "Lord, remember me in Your Kingdom." He was hanged from the wall of Pantelakes's house on 25 June 1823. That night a bright light shone on his body, so the Turks ordered it taken down at once; they forced some Jews to drag it to the sea and threw it in the water. A ship captained by Eliax Sklavounes, flying an Austrian flag, was docked in the harbor; hearing the splash, the captain ordered a lifeboat lowered, and the body was recovered. In the morning, with favorable tide and wind, he sailed for Russia, where he handed the martyr's body over to Orthodox Christians, who buried him with honor. He is commemorated on 25 June (new style; 8 July on the old calendar).