The Holy New Martyr John Kalphes (the Apprentice) lived in a
suburb of Constantinople, called Galata. He was a cabinetmaker by
profession, and he had acquired great skill in his craft, so that
important officials made use of his services. He was entrusted with the
inner adornment of the sultan’s palace.
St John Kalphes was
distinguished for his Christian charity, he provided for orphans and
those locked up in prison, and many turned to him for help. One time a
certain dignitary asked St John to take on his nephew as an apprentice.
He agreed, and the youth received an honorable position at court upon
the completion of his apprenticeship.
Once, encountering his
former teacher and benefactor, he asked St John what it says in the
Christian books about their “prophet” Mohammed. St John did not want to
answer his question, but because of the persistent demands of the youth,
he declared that Mohammed was a mere mortal, an uneducated man who did
not perform a single miracle during his lifetime. He went on to say that
Mohammed was no prophet, but rather an adversary of God. The youth,
devoted to Islam, reported to his fellow Moslems that the cabinetmaker
had insulted Mohammed.
St John was brought to trial, where they
demanded that he renounce Christ, but he bravely confessed his faith in
Christ. After torture, they sent the holy martyr off to penal servitude,
where he spent six months. Then, for the next three months they beat
him in the prison. Seeing that they could not coerce him into submitting
to their will, they beheaded him in the crowded city square in
Ergat-Bazara, near the Bedestan (a covered bazaar) on February 26, 1575.
The
suffering of the holy Martyr John Kalphes were recorded by Father
Andrew, the Chief Steward (Megas Oikonomos) of the Patriarch of
Constantinople, who communed him with the Holy Mysteries in prison.
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