Niketas the Confessor

Venerable Niketas the Confessor and Patrician, who suffered for the holy icons.

Niketas was a nobleman of Paphlagonia and a kinsman of the empress Irene, who made him a patrician and governor of Sicily; he represented the empress at the Seventh Ecumenical Council. He later became a monk.

Under the iconoclast emperors he was imprisoned and exiled for his defense of the holy icons, and reposed in peace in 836 honored as a confessor.

Feast day

On the New Calendar, Niketas the Confessor is commemorated on October 13. Churches on the Old (Julian) Calendar keep the feast on October 26 of the civil calendar.

Also commemorated on October 13

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  Carpus and Papylus

  Martyr, Κάρπος

  Holy Martyrs Carpus and Papylus.

  Name days: Karpos

• Chrysi the New Martyr

  Holy Woman, Χρυσή

  Holy New Martyr Chrysi (Zlata) of Meglena, the virgin who suffered under the Turks in 1795.

  Name days: Chrysi, Chryssi, Chrysa, Chryssa, Chrysoula, Zlata, Chryse

• Benjamin the Deacon

  Martyr, Βενιαμίν ο Διάκονος

  Holy Martyr Benjamin the Deacon, who suffered in Persia for preaching Christ.

  Name days: Veniamin, Benjamin, Beniamin

• Florentios of Thessalonica

  Martyr, Φλωρέντιος

  Holy Martyr Florentios of Thessalonica, burned for the faith.

• Jacob of Hamatoura

  Martyr, Ιάκωβος ο Χαματουρίτης

  Holy Monk-Martyr Jacob of Hamatoura in Lebanon, who suffered under the Mamluks.