John the Albanian

Holy New Martyr John the Albanian, called Arnaout-⁠John, was a soldier of Albanian descent, a Muslim, who was baptized a Christian and given the name John. He settled in the village of Agios Ioannis Phaistos in Crete and led a devout life, working as a dragati, a rural constable, to support himself.

When some rebels killed two Turkish gypsies, the Ottomans, who hated him for having renounced their faith, accused John of being the murderer and of wishing to exterminate Muslims. He was arrested and tried at Heraklion, where he proved his innocence. The judge nevertheless asked him to change his religion again, to show that he had not killed for religious reasons; otherwise he would be condemned to death. John bravely confessed Christ. For three days he was cruelly tortured, among other things with a burning iron pot placed on his head. The pasha ordered the body to be given to the Christians for burial, and they buried him at Heraklion. His death, in May 1845, caused grief and anger among the Christians of Heraklion; the judge was exiled. The relics, found sanctified, were sent to Kiev by the Russian consul. His commemoration is on 19 May.