Zaphirios the New Martyr

Zaphirios the New Martyr was a young Greek from Chalkidiki, martyred at Thessalonica in 1821. The exact place of his birth is uncertain, but he certainly came from a village of Chalkidiki.

In 1821, with the Revolution in Chalkidiki, many inhabitants of the villages of the area fled with their families to the Holy Mountain to escape the massacre. Some Chalkidikiots refused to renounce their faith and received the crown of martyrdom; one of them was the young Zaphirios. An adolescent, he was the only one among the young people taken from Athos to Thessalonica who remained faithful to Christ. Many details of his life remain unknown, among them the exact date of his birth and death.

The Church commemorates him on 11 June and at the Synaxis of the Athonite Fathers (the Sunday after All Saints). His service was composed by Athanasios the Simonopetrite.