[[Image:Ss. Raphael, Nicholas and Irene.jpg|thumb|right|Ss. Raphael, Nicholas and Irene]]
The holy, glorious and right-victorious [[New Martyrs]] '''Raphael, Nicholas and Irene''' suffered [[martyr]]dom by the Turks on the island of [[Wikipedia:Lesbos Island|Lesbos]] (or ''Lesvos''), [[w:Greece|Greece]] , on Bright Tuesday ([[April 9]], 1463), after the [[fall of Constantinople]]. St Raphael was the [[Abbot]] of [[Karyes]] near the village of Thermi on the island. St Nicholas was a [[deacon]] at the [[monastery]], and St [[Wikipedia:Saint_Irene|Irene]] was the 12-year-old daughter of the mayor of Thermi. The three saints were at the monastery with the village teacher and St Irene's father when the Turks raided it. Sts. Raphael, Nicholas, and Irene of Lesbos are rembered by the Church on April 9 and on the Tuesday of [[Bright Week]] along with St Eleni, New martyr Martyr of Lesbos (who was also called Susanna).
These [[saint]]s were unknown for about 500 years after their martyrdoms during the Turkish occupation of Lesbos. In 1959 the three saints appeared to the people on Lesvos in dreams and visions. They guided excavations of their own graves, called people to repentance, and cured many kinds of diseases.
[[Megalynarion]]
:Let us honour with hymns the Hosiomartyrs of Christ, divine Raphael and venerable Nicholas, together with Irene, the guardians of Lesbos, for helping all.
== See also ==
* [[Metropolis of Mytilene]]
==Source==
*[http://web.archive.org/web/20080119005423/http://home.it.net.au/~jgrapsas/pages/sts_rni.htm ''Archive of'' Sts Raphael, Nicholas and Irene of Lesbos] ([[GOAA]])*[http://www.orthodoxchristian.info/pages/sts_rni.htm Sts Raphael, Nicholas and Irene of Lesbos]
==External links==
*[http://agios-raphael.com/english/kleidara.html The testimony of Holy Mother Evgenia Kleidara]
*[http://ocafs.oca.org/FeastSaintsViewer.asp?SID=4&ID=1&FSID=108897 New Martyr Raphael of Lesbos] ([[OCA]])
*[http://wwwgoarch.churchsaintsorg/chapel/saints_view?contentid=1045 Renewal Tuesday] ([[GOARCH]])*[http://web.btinternetarchive.coorg/web/20050214024034/http://agios-raphael.ukcom/straphaelenglish/straphaelpicskleidara.htm Pictures html ''Archive of'' The testimony of the Church in MytiliniHoly Mother Evgenia Kleidara]*[http://web.archive.org/web/20050107085601/http://www.churchsaints.btinternet.co.uk/straphael/straphael.htm ''Archive of'' Devotional site]*[http://www.allsaints.tv/video/99945-saints-raphael-nicholas-and-irene-of-lesvos.html Video footage of Lesvos Church from AllSaints.TV]
==Further reading==
*"Saints Raphael, Nicholas and Irene of Lesbos", ''Modern Orthodox Saints'', vol 10, by Constantine Cavarnos. Published in 1994 (second printing) by the Institute for Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies (currently out of print).ISBN 0‒914744‒88‒7
[[Category:Saints]]