Theodore (Nestorović) of Vršac

Teodor of Vršac

Our father among the saints the martyr Teodor or Theodore (Nestorović) of Vršac (Свети свештеномученик Теодор (Несторовић) Вршачки) was the Serbian Orthodox bishop of Vršac in the sixteenth century. His feast day is May 16/29.

Martyrdom

During the Austro-Turkish War (1593-1606), many Serbians suffered under the Turkish Islamic warriors. The Serbs in Banat decided to protect their families from these Turkish troops and asked their bishop, Teodor, to lead them. He joined the rebellion against the Turks in 1593. The Serbs liberated some towns but in the end were defeated. Bishop Teodor, along with a large group of people, left for Transylvania. The Turks then promised that they would stop killing innocent people if Teodor were to return. When he did, he was seized and then killed in a terrible fashion: his skin was ripped off.