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John Karastamatis of Santa Cruz

128 bytes added, 20:09, October 23, 2012
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New Hiero[[martyrImage:Ιερομάρτυς Ιωάννης της Σάντα Κρουζ.png|thumb|The New Hieromartyr John (Karastamatis) of Santa Cruz (1937-1985).]] Father '''John (Karastamatis) of Santa Cruz''' (August 8, 1937 - May 19, 1985) was the first [[parish]] [[priest]] and one of the founders of the [http://propheteliassantacruz.org/?page_id=2 Prophet Elias Greek Orthodox Church] in Santa Cruz, California. Although there is some veneration of him as a [[hieromartyr]], he has not yet been formally [[canonization|canonized]]. He was a fervent preacher of the [[Introduction to Orthodox Christianity|Orthodox Faith]] and "ministered to the unemployed, homeless and drug addicts of the city"<ref name=BLACKWELL>Ken Parry, et. al. (Eds.). ''[http://www.blackwellreference.com/public/tocnode?id=g9780631232032_chunk_g978063123203214_ss1-14 John Karastamatis].'' '''The Blackwell Dictionary of Eastern Christianity.''' 2001.</ref><ref group="note">"He was the kind who wanted to help everybody," Anastasia Karastamatis said. "They'd come to the door at 2 o'clock in the morning and I'd worry -- saying we didn't know what they'd been drinking, what drugs they were on. It was hard for me. But he'd say, 'They need me; that's what I'm here for.' "<br>
:* {Joan Connell. SHATTERED PARISH REBUILDS CHURCH TRIES TO PUT SLAYING BEHIND IT. ''San Jose Mercury News.'' August 23, 1986.}</ref> before he was brutally [[Martyr|martyred]] by Satanists in 1985.<ref group="note">According to ''The Blackwell Dictionary of Eastern Christianity,'' the couple that murdered Fr. John had a history of mental illness. And in the words of District Attorney Art Danner, Anna Bowman was "clearly psychotic."</ref>
[[Image:Ιερομάρτυς Ιωάννης της Σάντα Κρουζ.png|left|thumb|The New Hieromartyr John (Karastamatis) of Santa Cruz (1937-1985). ]]
He has been credited with numerous miracles of healing since his death.<ref name="BLACKWELL"/> His memory is celebrated on [[May 19]] (N.S.), on the eve of the feast of the [[Translation (relics)|translation]] of the holy [[relics]] of Saint [[Nicholas of Myra|Nicholas]] the Wonder-worker, for whom Fr. John had a great reverance, because as a child he often visited the [[St. Nicholas Monastery (Andros, Greece)|Monastery of St. Nicholas of Andros]], Greece. This day corresponds to [[May 6]] ([[Julian Calendar|O.S.]]), which is the birthday of Royal [[Passion-bearer]] Tsar [[Nicholas II of Russia|Nicholas II]], and the [[feast day]] St. [[Job the Long-suffering|Job the Much-suffering]], pointing to the mystical significance of his death.
[[Category:Modern Saints]]
[[Category:Missionaries]]
[[Category:20th-century saints]]
[[el:Ιωάννης (Καρασταμάτης) της Σάντα Κρούζ]]

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