On the 11th (or sometimes the 10th) of July the Churches in the Balkans remember St. Nikodhimi (Nikodemos) who was from Vithkuq, Albania (my wife's home village), which was at that time (1750s) on the border of the Turkish-occupied regions of Epiros and Macedonia.

As I recall, Nikodhimi sought to marry a fourth time. The Church denied this to him, having already been very merciful in allowing his second and third marriages. He converted to Islam in order to marry a fourth time and attempted to bring his whole family with him. However, one son escaped to Mt. Athos. Nikodhimi sought him there but upon finding him was so moved by the son's life of holiness that he repented of his own sins and also took up residence as a monastic.

After some time, Nikodhimi requested a blessing to return to his homeland and witness to Christ. He found himself in the city of Berat before the Turkish authorities who used all manner of public tortures to obtain his rejection of Christ and a return to Islam.

At the same time, three villages from the area around Berat were sending their representatives to Berat to offer the conversion of their villages. Upon seeing Nikodhimi's witness, they reconsidered and returned home strengthened in their Christian faith. To this day those villages remain Orthodox Christian villages.

Nikodhimi died under torture in the public square.

So God has a plan for everyone and helps us to work out our salvation using even our own sinfulness to glorify him.

In Christ,
Andrew

Thank you for posting about St. Nikodhimi. Does anyone know how many martyrs there were under the Ottoman yoke? Thanks

In Christ,
Anthony

A truly AWESOME Saint! Thanks so much for the story.

Is there an Icon of him?

Dear Anthony and Johan,

I don't think that we will ever have an accurate number, for many saints are known but to God. However the Church has many, many from the "Turkokratia" on her calendars, especially in the Balkans. Often they identify them as "the New Martyr...."

Father Michael Vaporis wrote a book called, to the best of my recollection, "New Martyrs of the Turkish Yoke." I'll check the actual title in my library over the weekend. It was published by Holy Cross Press attached to Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Theological Seminary in Brookline, Mass. Much of what I know of Nikodhimi is from this book. There is a pencil-drawn icon of him in this book. I have at home an icon of him in a "westernized" style also. I don't have the capacity to post it here.

I had the pleasure of serving (as an altar server) under Fr. Vaporis during the Divine Liturgy. He had a beautiful voice and was fluent in English, Greek, and Albanian. Perhaps he knew other languages as well. He passed away a few years ago, but he left this and other significant contributions.

In Christ,
Andrew

Dear Andrew,

Yes, I knew Father Michael Vaporis too. He was a very, very, good man...may God grant him eternal rest....

He was in charge of Holy Cross Press when my husband and I had the first edition of 'St. Nektarios...A Saint for our Times' published there. (We are the translators).

In Christ,
Alice

Dear Friends,

I once read a figure of more than 10,000 New Martyrs killed under the Turkish Yoke.

But of these, a small number has been formally glorified as Saints for liturgical veneration.

The Russian Church glorified more than a thousand known New Martyrs and continues to add more names as these become revealed. It canonized ALL known New Martyrs of the Soviet Yoke, "known and unknown."

New Martyrs of the Turkish Yoke would often be hung on hooks under their ribs in the public square after having the soles of their feet beaten with rods, the so-called "Phalanga" torture which is still used by the Turkish police to this day.

The blows would be so hard that blood would spurt out of the toes and this would cripple the victim for life.

(I had an uncle who was interrogated via this torture and he couldn't walk afterwards until the end of his days.)

The Turks would hang their dead victims over night, and sometimes God would glorify His martyrs with a Light that would shine on their bodies etc.

Even the Turks would recognize this phenomenon as a supernatural one . . .

Alex

Dear Brothers and Sisters:

I was wrong again, twice in two weeks. Now I know that I need vacation!

"New Martyrs of the Turkish Yoke" was compiled not by Fr. Vaporis, but by two other authors [whose names I've forgotten already]. Still an excellent book, but put out by St. Nectarios Press, not Holy Cross Press, but carried by Holy Cross' bookstore, where I obtained my copy.

Fr. Vaporis, of blessed memory, helped edit the Greek Orthodox Archdiocesan Greek & English "Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom." Still an excellent man.

Now, I'm taking off for two weeks to get some rest and sun. Seriously.

In Christ,
Andrew

One more thing (well, two):

The blessed Nikodhimi's remains are in Berat.

The only church that I know of with his name is in Vithkuq. It was built in the mid-1990s. They have a big feast day there every July 10th or 11th.

In Christ,
Andrew

You weren't totally off! You were correct that a Vaporis wrote a book on the New Martyrs published by a seminary. There is a book, "Witnesses for Christ, Orthodox Christian Neomartyrs of the Ottoman Period 1437-1860" by a Nomikos Michael Vaporis, published by St. Vladimir's Seminary Press in 2000. A good and thorough book.

I was amused to find several martyrs who were bartenders. Perhaps an icon of the "Synaxis of the Holy Bartenders" would be crossing the line?

Dave

Dear Dave,

I don't think so.

As a matter of fact, I would drink to that . . .

Alex

Dear Andrew,

Thank you very much for the book information! I ordered it today online and should be getting it in a couple of weeks.

In Christ,
Anthony

Wow! Not only was I wrong, but I was practically wrong about being wrong!

I'm outa here!

In Christ,
Andrew

Dear All,

Thanks for sharing the story of St. Nikodhimi and the other martyrs under Islamic rule with us.

Their witness is important to all of us, I think.

So, thanks again.

Steve

PS Enjoy the well earned time away, Andrew. Hope to see you posting here again soon.