15.1 New Martyr Catherine of Attica

8/14/2019 15.1 New Martyr Catherine of Attica

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TheNewMartyrCatherineofAttica

TheHolyOrthodoxMetropolisofBoston Page1

TheNewMartyrCatherineofAtticaWhomtheHolyChurchCommemoratesonNovember15.

DismissalHymnforSaintCatherine.FourthTone

BequicktoAnticipate

EFENDING the sacrificer of theCrucifiedChrist, *OCatherine, thouwillingly

wast offered up toHim as an unblemished sacrifice; * thou didst weave the

Churcharoyalrobefromthineownblood,*andwithfervourthoudostintercedewith

theMaster*tosavethemthatfaithfullypraisethyhallowedmartyrdom.

D

KontakionofSaintCatherine.FourthTone

OnthisdayThouhastappeared

Tthe

right

hand

of

the

Lord

*now

standeth

Catherine,

*crowned

in

everlasting

light * and crying out in endlessjoy: *OChrist,myBridegroom,Thou art the

strength*ofthemthathonourtheboundariestheFathersset.A


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MegalynarionofSaintCatherine

ITH the blood that streamed from thy wounded head, * O New Martyr

Catherine*thouhastwateredtheChurchofChrist*whenthelandwasparched

fromadroughtoftrueconfession;*nowwith thineintercessions,waterourwithered

hearts.W

The Holy Martyrs of Mount Athos

who made a true confessionof the Orthodox faithUnder Patriarch John Beccos 1275

The True Orthodox Christians were tried just as gold purified in the furnace,

becausetheypreciouslyguardedtheOrthodoxFaith,receivedfromtheHolyFathers,as

a priceless treasure. In depicting the essential part of the NewMartyr Catherines

witnesswearefulfillinganimperativeduty.TheTriumphofourOrthodoxFaithmust

bemadeknown; the sacrificeof this faithfulewelambofourLords flock, fullof the

flameof

faith

and

the

love

of

Christ,

must

be

proclaimed.

TheNewMartyrCatherinewasborninMandrainAtticain1900topoorbutpious

parents, theevermemorableJohnandMariaPeppas.Whenevernecessary,Catherine,

theyoungestofthefamily,offeredherservicescheerfullyandwashardworking.


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AttheageoftwentytwoshemarriedConstantineRoutisfromthevillage.Godgave

themtwochildren,ChristosandIrene.ThedevoutRoutisfamilyjoinedtheresistanceof

the True Orthodox Christians, participating in all the services and public

demonstrationsfor

their

Faith,

even

when

this

was

perilousall

for

the

sacred

defense

ofthetraditionsoftheholyFathers.

InwasinfactattheendoftheDivineLiturgyonNovember8,1927,thatCatherine

wastosacrificeherself,thusreceivingtheunfadingcrownofMartyrdom.

ButletusleaveittothewriterofTaPatriatoexplain:

MandarainAttica,aplaceofheroicandtragicevents,isalsotheplacewhichoffers

asanexample toourmaterialisticageaheroinefor theFaith, theyoungNewMartyr

CatherineRoutis.

Every

Christian

has

heard

of

the

rivers

of

blood

that

have

been

shed

tomakesteadfasttheTrueFaithinChrist,butwhowouldhaveforeseenthattheblood

of martyrs is still necessary to save the Church from heretical influences and

innovation?Come,Christians,youthatbearpatientlythecontemptofthecrowdswho

callyouOldCalendarists.Come,and learn thewayour fathersandbrothers,who

livedduringthefirstyearsaftertheschism,contested;howtheyglorifiedtheChurchof

theTrueOrthodoxChristians,thatyoumightliveinallfreedomandhonourandadore

God.

Letus

follow

the

thread

of

the

bloody

events

at

Mandra,

which

started

during

the

AllnightVigilandtheLiturgyinhonoroftheHolyArchangels,atdawnonNovember

8,1927,andwhichendedtragicallyinthechurchatthatplace.

On the eveof the festival of theHolyOrders, somepiouswomen fromMandra,

togetherwith thebraveCatherine, had cleaned theChurch andprepared it, so that

nothingwas lacking for theawaited festival.Theyhaddoneeverything theycould to

findanOrthodoxpriest, faithful to the calendarof theFathers, forat that time such

clergymenwere literallyoverwhelmedby thedemandsof the faithful.The faithfulat

Mandara

had

therefore

welcomed

the

ever

memorable

Father

Christopher

Psallidas

withenthusiasm.Thewholepopulationgreetedhimwithjoy,whilst thebellsof the

churchesrangoutmerrilysogreatlyesteemedand lovedwerefaithfulpriests, those

firstfightersinthesacredstruggleoftheTrueOrthodoxChristians,whichwasthenjust

beginning.


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Vespersstartedquietlyinpeace.TheVigilcouldhavestartedandendedinthesame

atmosphere,ifthepolice,whowerenotwelcomeonsuchanevening,hadnotappeared

and,withevilintent,surroundedthechurch.Itisreasonabletoinquireintothereasons

forthis

state

of

siege.

Neither

malefactors

nor

gangsters

were

hidden

in

the

church.

The

churchwas occupied onlyby decorous guardians ofPatristicOrthodox Tradition,

who,inafittingmanner,hadgatheredtocelebratetheirguardiansaints.Whatwasit,

then, that thepoliceso insistentlywanted?Theywereonlyobeying theordersof the

schismaticArchbishopofAthens,namelytoarrestthepriestandscatterthemobof

thefaithful.

Thepolicehadreceivedtheirorders,buttheChristiansofMandraalsohadtoobey

anorder, theGodgivenordernot topermit thecelebration tobedisrupted.Thus the

door

of

the

church

was

shut,

and

the

Liturgy

proceeded

with

even

more

compunction

becauseoftheeverpresentthreatofarms.Thepolicethenstruckthedoorswiththeir

riflebutts,tryingtoknockthemdown.Theybrokethewindowpanes.Andyetweare

inthetwentiethcentury,inthemiddleofaneraofprogress,aneraofreligiousliberty!

WhataterribleexamplefromthemotherlandoftheHellenes,fromthemotherlandof

OrthodoxChristians!

Thefaithfulcontinuedtoprayinsidethechurch,quietly,piously,whilstoutsidethe

schismatic forcesweremovingaboutshouting insults. Inside the faithfulwereasking

fortheLordssupport,thattheymightpatentlybeartheunjustpersecution.

Outside,thepolicecalledforreinforcementssothattheymightattaintheirimpious

goal.Butdid theyneed reinforcements?Did theyneed somuch to arrest onepious

quiet,bravepriest?Buthowwheretheytobreaktheresistanceofthefaithfulpeopleif

notbyarms?

Itwasnearlydawn.InsidethechurchmostofthefaithfulreceivedCommunionand

werewaitingfortheblessingofthepriesttoendtheservice,sothattheycouldtakehim

outsafelyandgivehimanopportunitytorestinaneighbouringhouse.Buthowcould

theydothis,whenthepraetoriansoftheschismaticswereonguardoutside?Butthey

hadreceived

the

only

strength

they

needed:

they

had

just

communed

the

Body

and

Blood of Christ!Nothingwas frightening them anymore. They advanced; the door

opened the faithful started to go out.A livingwall of piouswomen fromMandra

surrounded theendangeredpriest.From theshadows theschismatic forcessprang in


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frontofthemlikerapaciouswolves,anddemandedthatthepeoplesurrenderthepriest

intotheirhands.

Butwhy?thefaithfulwonderedwithgoodreason.Hashecommittedacrime?Has

hedone

wrong?

No,

nothing

like

that.

But

still

they

demanded

the

priest.

Who

would

goandhandhimovertothem?AmongthefaithfultherewerenoJudases.

Youwillarrestourpriestonlyoverourdeadbodies!Suchwerethenoblewords

thatcame from themouthofonewoman. Itwas thevoiceofCatherineRoutis,who,

havingmadesureherhusbandandchildrenweresafelyhiddenathome,camebackto

rejointhepriest.

TheparentsoftheNewMartyrCatherinehaveattestedtothefactthatafterVespers

herhusband suggested that theygohomebecausehe feared an incident.But itwas

impossible

for

Catherine

to

stay

home.

So

when

her

sister

told

her

of

the

dangers

that

the faithfulwere facing in the church,besiegedby thepolice, she left thehouseand

rushedinamongthecombatants.Sherantohermartyrdom!

Thepolice, failing tobreak through thehumancordon,started toshootwith their

rifles to frighten thepeople.Theyonly succeeded toadegree.A few faithfulmoved

away,but thehumanwallstayed intactaround thepriest.Theywere takenabackby

the savagery of the police attack. A bullet struck the evermemorable Angeliki

Katsarellisinthetemple.Totheendofherlife,Angelikiproudlyshowedthemarkof

theLordonherforehead,whichhadbeeninscribedbyamurderouspolicebulleton

thatnight.

Meanwhile,CatherineRoutisdidnotflinch.Shewentoncourageouslydenouncing

thepraetorianforcesoftheschismatics,untilshesawapolicemanraisehisrifletostrike

thepriest.Assoonasshe realizedhisevil intention,withcourageandcomplete self

sacrificeshecoveredthepriestwithherbodyandreceivedthemortalblowtotheback

of her head. Catherine fell, staining the floor of the church with theblood of her

martyrdom.Onecouldjusthearherwhisper for the last time,MostHolyMotherof

God...

Theanxious,

weeping

women

took

up

her

bloodied

body,

and,

having

informed

her

husband Constantine, took her to the AnnunciationHospital in Athens. The pious

Angeliki,whohadbeeninjuredbythebullet,wasalsotakenthereatthesametimeas

Catherine,butshecameoutafterafewdays.


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Catherine,motionlessinbed,sufferedenormouslyforsevendays.Unabletospeak,

shegesturedforapaper towriteanotetoherhusband,tocommend tohiscaretheir

twolittlechildren,onefouryearsoldandtheotheronlyafewmonthsold.

OnNovember15,1927,accordingtotheOrthodoxCalendar,onthefirstdayofthe

NativityFastat4a.m.,CatherinegavehermartyricsoulintothehandsofChrist,Who

crownedher.

Thechurchcouncilof theTrueOrthodoxChristians thenmobilizedall thefaithful

they could contact.Herswas no funeral,bur a procession of the relics of amartyr.

Thousandsof faithfulpeople followed theprocession, somewith flowers, somewith

candles,andotherswithpalmbranches.

Christians!Takestrengthfromtheexamplegivenbyayoungmother,awomanof

twentyseven,

who

gave

her

life

for

the

sacred

Faith!

The

New

Martyr

Catherine

is

the

honor,theglory,andtheprideoftheChurchoftheTrueOrthodoxChristians,andshe

willbe remembered as an example of faith and love, and awitness filledwith self

denialandsacrificeforthetraditionsoftheFathers.

Catherine,inourtimes,therewerenoswords,stakes,orspears.Theyhadonlythe

buttsoftheirgunstotrytofrightenyou.Whatamiserableweapontomakeyoudeny

yourFaith!Butyougaveyourlifeforit.Mayyourmediationsupportus,andmayyour

prayersprotect theBodyofourOrthodoxChurch fromeverymaliciousarrowof the

enemy.Amen.

TheChurchoftheTrueOrthodoxChristiansbelievesandproclaimsthatCatherine

contesteduntoblood,andthatshebelongstothechoiroftheHolyMartyrs.November

15/28,thedayofherdeath,istheanniversaryofthenewMartyrCatherine.

ThearticleabovewastranslatedfromtheFrench,aspublishedinFoiTransmiseetSainte

Tradition, July 1987. This is the Frenchlanguage magazine of the Mission of the True

OrthodoxChristians inFrance.Weare indebted toMrs.S.C.Phillipsfor the translation into

English.

Thisarticle is taken fromTheStruggleAgainstEcumenism:TheHistoryof theTrue

OrthodoxChurchofGreece from1924 to19941998TheHolyOrthodoxChurch in

NorthAmericaBoston,Massachusetts02131;pp.305310.

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15.1 New Martyr Catherine of Attica