The 1241 New Martyrs of Naousa

The 1241 New Martyrs of Naousa are the men, women and children of the town of Naousa in Macedonia, killed by the Ottomans in 1822 during the Greek Revolution. The Ecumenical Patriarchate canonized them on 26 June 2011 in the Metropolitan Church of the Transfiguration in Naousa, in the presence of representatives of the Patriarchal and Autocephalous Churches. The service was celebrated together with Metropolitan Panteleimon of Veria, Naousa and Kampania. The number 1241 is the one used at the canonization; local commemoration also speaks of "the two thousand" martyrs of Naousa.

The massacre began on the Thursday of Bright Week, when the Ottoman army under Loubout Pasha entered the town after that year's uprising. The Liturgy was being served in the Church of St George. Five priests were taken from the church and brought before the pasha; among them were the monk John of Petra, Gerasimos the Spiritual and Demetrios the Sakellarios, while the names of the other two have not been kept. They were killed for their faith, and the church was destroyed with those who were in it. The people of Naousa who tried to defend the church were killed in their turn.

The killings lasted from the Thursday of Bright Week until the Sunday of Thomas. The best known place of sacrifice is the Kiosk, where many of the inhabitants were taken and slain. According to local tradition, many women threw themselves into the waters of the river Arapitsa rather than be taken into slavery. The wife and daughters of Anastasios Karatasos, a leader of the uprising, were sent to Thessaloniki together with other women.

The martyrs are commemorated every year on the Sunday of Thomas, with a litany to the Kiosk, and the five priests are also remembered on the Thursday of Bright Week.