Martyred Fathers of the Monastery of Saint Savva

The Martyred Fathers of the Monastery of Saint Savva, among them John, Sergius and Patrick, were slain in the Lavra of Saint Sabbas the Sanctified in the eighth century. At that time the area around Jerusalem was often raided by Saracens; the monastery of Saint Chariton had been devastated and fell into ruin. Twice the Saracens had tried to plunder the Lavra of Saint Savva, but God's providence protected it. The third time the monks could have escaped the barbarians by going to Jerusalem, but they decided not to forsake the place where they had sought salvation for so many years.

On 13 March the Saracens broke into the monastery and demanded all the valuables. The monks told them there was nothing but a meager supply of food and old clothing, and the Saracens began shooting arrows at them. Thirteen men were killed, many wounded, and cells were set afire. The Saracens meant to torch the church too, but seeing a throng of people in the distance, they mistook it for an army sent from Jerusalem and fled with the little they had plundered. Father Thomas, an experienced physician, helped the survivors.

On Great Thursday, 20 March, the Saracens came again in greater force and began to beat the monks. The survivors were driven into the church and tortured to reveal where treasure might be hidden. The monastery was surrounded, so no one could save himself by flight. The barbarians seized John, a young monk who had cared for vagrants, beat him savagely, cut the sinews of his hands and feet and dragged him over stones by his feet, tearing the skin from his back. Sergius, keeper of the church vessels, hid them and tried to flee but was captured and beheaded. Several monks had hidden in a cave outside the monastery, but a sentry on a hill spotted them and ordered everyone out. In the cave Patrick whispered to the brethren: "Fear not, I will go alone and meet my death. Sit and pray." The Saracens asked whether anyone else was in the cave, and Patrick said he was alone. They led him to the Lavra, where the captives awaited their fate.

The Saracens demanded a ransom of 4,000 gold pieces and the sacred vessels, which the monks could not give. Then they led them into the cave of Saint Savva inside the monastery walls, lit a fire in front of its entrance with dung piled on it, hoping to suffocate them with the poisonous fumes. Eighteen men perished in the cave, among them John and Patrick. The Saracens went on torturing those still alive, but got nothing and left. Later, on the night of Great Friday, the monks hidden in the hills returned to the Lavra, carried the bodies of the murdered fathers into the church and buried them there. The barbarians who plundered the monastery were punished by God: they were stricken with a sudden illness and all perished, and wild beasts devoured their bodies.

These saints should not be confused with other martyrs of the Saint Savva Lavra who suffered in 610 and are commemorated on 16 May; the two dates reflect separate attacks, for barbarians raided the Lavra on several occasions. The Martyred Fathers of the Monastery of Saint Savva are commemorated on 20 March (new style; 2 April on the old calendar).