Paul of Ioannina

Paul of Ioannina, born Peter, was a monk of the Monastery of Konstamonitou on Mount Athos, who died as a new venerable martyr at Thessaloniki in 1824 after terrible torments. He is commemorated on 12 June as a locally honoured saint, with no known canonization.

He was born at Ioannina toward the end of the eighteenth century, with the name Peter. His father died when he was a child, and his mother sent him to the Greek school of Balanos to learn the sacred letters, under Anastasios Balanos, called Kamikaris. He was devout and took part in the life and services of the church of St John of Bounila, also called the Panagia Periblepto. Through Kyra Vasiliki, a favourite of Ali Pasha, he came to know the fathers of the Monastery of Konstamonitou on Athos, among them Abbot Chrysanthos and the hieromartyr Benedict, who had come to Ioannina on monastery business. When they returned to Athos he followed them. After a period of trial he was tonsured a monk at Konstamonitou and given the name Paul.

During the Revolution of 1821 he was arrested with other monks of the monastery by a pasha, after Alexander Ypsilantis had urged Emmanuel Pappas to launch the revolution from Mount Athos. He was taken to Thessaloniki. There he suffered terrible tortures and was martyred in 1824.