Holy Martyr John of Kazan (+1529)

The holy Martyr John of Kazan was from Nizhny Novgorod. During one of the Tatar raids he was taken captive and became the slave of the khan’s kinsman Alei-Shnur, who lived in Kazan. By day he served his master honestly, and he spent his nights in prayer, patiently bearing every offence, mockery and insult. Once Alei-Shnur decided to convert his captive to Islam. But John declared that he acknowledged as Lord only the true God, Jesus Christ. At night the Tatars took the saint to the Russian cemetery, tortured him with a sword, tied him up and threw him into the snow. When he came to himself, the martyr with difficulty reached the dwelling of Russians living in Kazan and asked them to call a priest. After receiving Communion he spent the whole night in prayer, and at dawn he reposed (+24 January 1529).