On the second Sunday after Pentecost, each local Orthodox Church commemorates all the saints, known and unknown, who have shone forth in its territory. Accordingly, the Orthodox Church in Lesvos remembers the saints of Lesvos on this day.
The holy island of Lesvos, besides giving rise to men of the spirit, of the arts and of the sciences, through the blessing of God has revealed at least 40 Saints, who adorn and make radiant the Orthodox calendar of our Church. Some of them were from Lesvos, who lived godly lives and fell asleep in the Lord or were martyred on the island. Others were from other places, but came to Lesvos, where they were martyred, and hallowed the ground through their martyrical blood.
Every year, the memory of All Saints of Lesvos is celebrated the Sunday after the Sunday of All Saints with all radiance and devotion, and is proceeded by a series of festal events, in which the pious people of Lesvos and many visitors to the island, take part.
Older Saints of Lesvos (20)
The Five Women Martyrs (+4th century) – April 5
St. Alexander Archbishop of Methymna (+5th century) – November 30
St. Andrew of Crete, the Author of the Great Canon (+740) – July 4
St. David the Confessor (+795) – February 1
St. George of Mytilene, the Worker of Signs (+821) – April 7
St. Symeon the New Stylite of Lesvos (+844) – September 1 / February 1
St. George of Mytilene, the Confessor (+846) – February 1 / May 16
The Righteous Agathon of Ephesus (+9th century) – August 23 (with the finding of the wonderworking icon of the Theotokos of Agiassou)
St. Theoktiste of Methymna (+9th century) – November 9
St. Thomais of Lesvos (+10th century) – January 3
St. Theophanes Sigrianes (+1000)
St. Gregory Bishop of Assos (+1130) – July 10 / Sunday after November 10 (the uncovering of his relics)
St. Olympia the Nun (+1235) – May 11
St. Euphrosyne the Nun (+1235) – May 11
St. Theonas Archbishop of Thessaloniki, from Lesvos (+1541)
St. Ignatios Bishop of Methymna (+1566) – October 14
New Martyrs of Lesvos (20)
St. Raphael the Hieromartyr of Thermi, the Newly-revealed (+1463) – April 9 / Tuesday of Bright Week / July 3 (uncovering of his relics)
St. Nicholas the Righteous martyr of Thermi, the Newly-revealed (+1463) – April 9 / Tuesday of Bright Week / June 13 (uncovering of his relics)
St. Irene the Virgin Martyr of Thermi, the Newly-revealed (+1463) – April 9 / Tuesday of Bright Week / May 12 (uncovering of her relics)
The Righteous Basileios, the Mayor of Thermi and Father of St. Irene (+1463) – April 9 / Tuesday of Bright Week
The Righteous Maria, the Mother of St. Irene (+1463) – April 9 / Tuesday of Bright Week
The Righteous Theodore, the teacher of Thermi, martyred after St. Raphael (+1463) – April 9 / Tuesday of Bright Week
St. Doukas the Tailor (+1564)
St. Parthenios Patriarch of Constantinople (+1657)
St. George Pasgianos (+1693) – February 14
St. George (Tzortzes) the Iberian (+1770) – January 2
St. Nicholas of Mytilene (+1771) – January 16
St. Theodore (Hatzi) of Mytilene (+1784) – January 30 (his martyrdom) / September 4 (uncovering of his relics)
St. Theodore the Byzantine (+1795) – February 17 (his martyrdom) / The 4th Sunday of Pascha (Sunday of the Paralytic) (the uncovering of his relics and his miraculous deliverance of the island from the plague in 1823)
St. Luke of Adrianoupolis (+1802) – March 23
St. George of Chios (+1807) – November 26
St. Demetrios from Larissa (+1809)
St. Anastasios Paneras (+1806) – August 10
St. Demetrios Mpegiazes (+1816) – August 10
St. Constantine from the Hagarenes (+1819) – June 2
St. Euthymios Bishop of Zelon (+1921) – May 29
For the Service to All Saints of Lesvos, see here.
Apolytikion in the Third Tone
A divine assembly of noble righteous ones, and band of archpriests, and unassailable rank of martyrs, the island of Lesvos praises as it dances, for they magnified Christ in her, and they intercede that true peace and great mercy may be granted to our souls.
