Manuel of Sfakia

Holy New Martyr Manuel of Sfakia was born in Sfakia in Crete, of devout parents. While still small he was taken prisoner by the Turks, forcibly converted to Islam, and remained in their service. But he found the chance to flee from his masters' house and went to Mykonos, where he confessed and lived as a Christian. There he married and had six children. Because his wife betrayed her marital honour, he moved with the six children to another house without shaming her. The brother of the unfaithful wife, who served in the Turkish fleet, denounced him to the Turkish captain, saying that although he had become a Muslim he had returned to the Christian religion.

Seized by the Turkish captain, Manuel boldly confessed his faith in Christ. After many tortures he was handed to the Turkish admiral Küçük, who was on Chios, who questioned him and issued the death sentence. The admiral's servants took Manuel to the place of execution, called Palaia Vrysi. As the martyr bowed his head, the appointed executioner grew faint with fear, threw down the sword and drew back. Then a non-⁠commissioned officer seized the sword, and, unable to behead him even after many blows to the neck, threw him down and slaughtered him in the most dreadful way, like a lamb. All this happened on Chios, on 15 March 1792, a Monday, at four in the afternoon. The Turks tied his holy body to boulders and threw it into the sea. A manuscript account of his martyrdom is in the library of Xenophontos Monastery on Mount Athos. He is commemorated on 15 March (new style).