Nicholas the New of Vounaina

Holy Venerable Martyr Nicholas the New of Vounaina was, according to tradition, a Byzantine officer from the East who withdrew to ascetics in Thessaly and died a martyr in the year 720. He is venerated above all at Thebes, where his relics are kept.

According to tradition, he was born in the lands of the East and, on reaching manhood, joined the imperial army with the rank of duke. He taught his soldiers to pray, to wrong no one, and to ask Christ's help against their enemies. Once he was sent by an iconoclast emperor to put down a revolt; it went badly and many innocent people died. Seeing what had happened, Nicholas took twelve of his men and withdrew to Vounaina in Thessaly, to a place where several ascetics lived.

There they lived by the rule of the hermits until the Avars came and seized Nicholas and his soldiers. The soldiers were killed, while Nicholas was imprisoned and urged to deny Christ; he was offered money and offices, but remained unmoved. Tradition says that he was pierced with his own spear and then beheaded on 9 May 720, and his body was left at the place of the slaughter.

After many years a nobleman suffering from leprosy, named Euphemianos, found the body and noticed that it gave off a sweet fragrance. As he came near it he was healed, and in thanks he buried it there and built a church in the name of Saint Nicholas. It is said that from the trees to which the saint was bound during his torments a red liquid flows, called "blood", which the faithful use with faith for healing.

His relics lie in the church of Saint Nicholas the New in Thebes, in a silver casket. The saint is commemorated on 9 May.