Saint Seraphim the Hieromartyr, Bishop of Phanar, fighter for Christ and patriotic defender of the freedom of the enslaved Greeks. He was born in the 16th century.ο century, we do not know the exact date, in the village of Bezoula in the prefecture of Karditsa. He was born into a pious family and was educated "in the admonition of the Lord". He was taught by his parents Sophrony and Maria to love spiritual things and God and to despise glories, honors and sinful pleasures. His baptismal name was Sotirios. He had great reverence for the priests and was obedient to his parents and his fellow villagers. His parents sent him and he learned the divine letters at the monastery of Saint Panteleimon near his village. He distinguished himself in school life by being intelligent and diligent.
He abandoned worldly things, since the flame of monasticism burned his heart. He visited the monasteries of Agrafa and decided to become a monk in the monastery called “Korona” and “Kryera Vrysis”. There, near virtuous and ascetic monks, he began a hard struggle, imitating and taking as an example the virtues of his fellow monks. He quickly became a monk, taking the name Seraphim. With the unanimous consent of all, he was ordained a deacon and later a priest. He continued with zeal the angelic life.
After a short time, the Archbishop of Phanar and Neochori fell asleep.,. The Saint was unanimously elected his successor. Accepting the heavy burden of the high priesthood with zeal and perseverance, he shepherded his flock without counting the labors and sacrifices. He had the feeling that he was an unworthy servant and considered that he was not doing works pleasing to God. For this reason, he begged God to make him worthy of martyrdom.
God deserved him martyrdom, as he had asked. Here is how. In the year 1601, the Metropolitan of Larissa Dionysios gathered a number of people and declared a revolution against the Turks. The attempt failed. Dionysios was arrested and killed. The Saint did not have many contacts with him. In the turbulent climate of the days, due to the events, the Saint went to the Phanar to distribute the usual gifts to the agades. The Turkish agades envied and envied the Saint for his work and sought an excuse to kill him or force him to convert. Seeing him, the agades said to each other: “He was with Dionysios too.” Hearing this, the Saint asked who they were referring to. Then the agades angrily said to him: “How dare you appear before us?, You will receive what you deserve, unless you want to abandon your faith."
The Saint listened calmly. The desire for martyrdom awakens within him and he replies: "All Christians know it and you confess it that I am uninvolved and for no reason will I leave the sweetest Jesus and join hands with the devil. I hope to receive more honor from my Master and I do not accept your honor."
Hearing this, the aggas became furious and violently brought him to the ruler, asking him to put him to death with a bad death. The ruler began to calmly try to charm the Saint and convince him to renounce Christ. He pretended to regret killing him because he saw him as a good man who had been seduced by the evil Dionysius. The Saint replied: You know that I am innocent, but I do not want to deny my faith, nor to be separated from my sweetest Master and God.ν. A thousand deaths for the name of the Saint, it will be joy and gladness. The ruler, as soon as he heard this, ordered him to be tortured, his nose cut off and put in prison without water and food, in the hope that the brave spirit of Seraphim would be broken. In vain. In prison, the Saint glorified and thanked God and begged Him to give him strength to endure the suffering.
The ruler asked for and the Saint was brought before him and, pretending to be good and a friend, he asked him if he had changed his mind and advised him, as a friend, to change his faith. Seraphim replied calmly: "I should not have given you any answer, because you say that you are a friend and you give me impious advice to leave the Poet and Creator Jesus Christ and to believe in a false prophet and impious man." The Saint did not have time to finish his speech and the ruler gave the order to torture him.,‧ to stretch his arms and legs, to place a heavy stone on his stomach and to begin to tear his flesh. The Saint rejoiced in the passion he experienced because of his faith.
The ruler could not bear to see the Saint glorifying God and ordered him to be impaled and to die this horrible death. At the place of martyrdom, an Arab woman was vulgarly cursing Christ and the Saint, who, imitating Christ, forgave the woman.
Our Holy Church honors his memory on the 4thη December (day of his death). His coffin is carried in procession to the Holy Monastery of Koroni on the last Sunday of September. To Karditsa, of which he is the patron saint, on Myrrh-bearing Sunday.
photo – Municipality of Myonia AGIA EFTHYMIA https://www.agiathimia.com/%CE%B9%CE%B5%CF%81%CE%BF%CE%BC%CE%AC%CF%81%CF%84%CF%85%CF%82-%CE%AC%CE%B3%CE%B9%CE%BF%CF%82-%CF%83%CE%B5%CF%81%CE%B1%CF%86%CE%B5%CE%AF%CE%BC-%CE%B5%CF%80%CE%AF%CF%83%CE%BA%CE%BF%CF%80%CE%BF%CF%82/
