On October 31, 1917, Archpriest John Kochurov became the first clergyman martyred in the Russian Revolution, marking the beginning of the era of the New Martyrs of the twentieth century. Born in 1871 in the Ryazan region to a pious priestly family, John was raised in deep Orthodox faith. After completing his studies at the Saint Petersburg Theological Academy, he longed for missionary service and was sent to the Diocese of the Aleutians and Alaska. In America, he was ordained in 1895 and assigned to Saint Vladimir’s Church in Chicago, where he labored tirelessly to build parish life among poor and diverse Orthodox immigrants. His crowning achievement was the construction of Holy Trinity Cathedral, consecrated in 1903 by Bishop Tikhon (the future Patriarch of Moscow), for which Fr. John received high church honors for his devotion and missionary success.

In 1907, after twelve years of service in America, Fr. John returned to…

Saint Stephen was the younger son of King Stephen Uroš I and the grandson of Saint Stephen the First-Crowned (commemorated on September 24). He ruled Serbia from 1275 to 1320. Stephen Milutin ascended the throne after his elder brother, Saint Dragutin, abdicated and transferred power to him following a brief reign.

As king, Saint Stephen Milutin courageously defended the Orthodox Serbs and other Orthodox peoples, both through his actions and his steadfast faith. Grateful for God’s blessings, he dedicated himself to building and restoring more than forty churches, along with numerous monasteries and hospices for travelers. He showed particular devotion to the monasteries on Mount Athos.

Even after the fall of the Serbian kingdom, these monasteries remained strongholds of national culture and Orthodox faith for the Serbian people. Saint Stephen Milutin reposed on October 29, 1320, and was buried in the Banjska Monastery. Two years later, his incorrupt relics were…

Saint Serapion of Zarzma, the son of a noble family from Klarjeti, was devoted to God from childhood. After the early deaths of his parents, he and his younger brother John sought spiritual guidance from Saint Michael of Parekhi, who recognized Serapion’s divine calling and ordained him a priest. Following a vision, Saint Michael sent Serapion and John to Samtskhe to found a monastery. With a wonderworking icon of the Transfiguration, they journeyed through the mountains, eventually receiving land from the pious nobleman George Chorchaneli. Despite resistance from local villagers, divine miracles—including an earthquake that created the site later called Zarzma—affirmed their mission.

Guided by prayer, the monks chose a location for their church where an oil lamp miraculously burned longest. With the help of George Chorchaneli, they built the monastery using stone from a ruined church, placing the icon of the Transfiguration in its altar. Saint Serapion established the…

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Saint Arsenius, Archbishop of Peć, was born in Srem. He spent much of his life as a monk at the Žiča Monastery, under the spiritual guidance of Saint Sava (commemorated January 14). Because of his deep asceticism and devotion, Saint Sava appointed him as the monastery’s igumen (abbot).

When Serbia was invaded by the Hungarians, Saint Sava sent Saint Arsenius southward to find a safer location for a new episcopal see. Arsenius chose Peć, where he established a monastery and built a church first dedicated to the Holy Apostles, and later to the Lord’s Ascension.

Before departing for Jerusalem, Saint Sava named Saint Arsenius as his successor.

In 1236, Saint Sava reposed in Trnovo on his journey home, and Saint Arsenius urged King Vladislav to bring his relics back to Serbia for burial. After thirty-three years of faithfully leading the Church, Saint Arsenius fell asleep in the Lord…