John of Spetses

Saint John of Spetses, the New Martyr, was born in 1800 on the island of Spetses, in the family of Theodore Ginis and Anezo, and received the crown of martyrdom on Chios in 1822, at the age of twenty-⁠two. He is commemorated on 3 February (new style, the calendar of the Church of Greece) with his younger brother Stamatios and with Nicholas, their companion in suffering.

In 1822 the two brothers set sail for Constantinople with five other sailors, among them the elderly captain Nicholas. A violent storm threw them ashore in Asia Minor, at a place called Cesme, opposite Chios. They entrusted a hiding place to a Christian, but he betrayed them to the agha, and Turkish soldiers set out after them: two of the travellers were killed, two others escaped by sea. John, Stamatios and Nicholas were captured. The pasha ordered the beheading of Nicholas, who confessed Christ and refused to renounce his faith, and had the two brothers imprisoned.

For seven days in a row the Turks tried to persuade them to accept Islam and did not succeed. Secretly, John and Stamatios sent their written confession to the metropolitan of Chios; he gave them his blessing and sent them the Holy Mysteries by the hand of a woman. Before the pasha they confessed again, and on the way to the place of execution they cried out to the crowd that they were Christians and went to death for Christ. They were beheaded: Stamatios at eighteen years of age and John at twenty-⁠two.

Saints Stamatios, John and Nicholas of Spetses are honoured as new martyrs. The Greek calendar commemorates them on 3 February, and Nicholas is also remembered on 26 January.