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:* {Joan Connell. SHATTERED PARISH REBUILDS CHURCH TRIES TO PUT SLAYING BEHIND IT. ''San Jose Mercury News.'' August 23, 1986.}</ref> before he was murdered in 1985.<ref group="note">According to ''The Blackwell Dictionary of Eastern Christianity,'' the couple that murdered Fr. John had a history of mental illness. And in the words of District Attorney Art Danner, Anna Bowman was "clearly psychotic."</ref>
He has been credited with numerous miracles of healing since his death.<ref name="BLACKWELL"/> His memory is celebrated on [[May 19]] (N.S.), on the eve of the feast of the [[Translation (relics)|translation]] of the holy [[relics]] of Saint [[Nicholas of Myra|Nicholas]] the Wonder-worker, for whom Fr. John had a great reverence, because as a child he often visited the [[St. Nicholas Monastery (Andros, Greece)|Monastery of St. Nicholas of Andros]], Greece. This day corresponds to [[May 6]] ([[Julian Calendar|O.S.]]), which is the birthday of Royal [[Passion-bearer]] Tsar [[Nicholas II of Russia|Nicholas II]], and the [[feast day]] St. [[Job the Long-suffering|Job the Much-suffering]], pointing to the mystical significance of his death.
==In Greece==
Fr. John Karastamatis was born on [[August 8]], 1937 in the Greek village of Apoikia, on the island of [[Metropolis of Syros, Tinos, Andros, Kea, and Milos|Andros]]. The atmosphere of this village was permeated with the age-old Orthodox way of life, which was followed according to the Church calendar and the cycle of feast days. Living from day to day amidst the simple and natural faith of the villagers, the young John was imparted a sense of holiness, which kindled in his idealistic heart the flame of love for God and all that is His. As a boy on the island of Andros, John witnessed many miracles with which [[God]] blessed the pious villagers, and thus he was made aware of the closeness of God to the lives of those who seek Him. The heavenly [[saints]], especially the local ones, also manifested their closeness and the power of their intercessory [[prayer]] by appearing to and helping the people.