Saint Markella of Chios, commemorated every year on July 22, remains an enduring beacon of purity, courage, and steadfast faith in Christ amid an increasingly troubled world.
By Fr. Michael Psaromatis
Born towards the end of the 15th century in the village of Volissos on the island of Chios, Markella came into a family wealthy in material goods yet spiritually divided. Her devout mother cultivated a deep love for Christ and His Church, instilling reverence for the Virgin Mary, purity, and holiness within Markella from a young age. Her father, however, was cynical and distant from the faith.
Before we first came to know her story intimately, Saint Markella was already close to our hearts. During our years serving at St Andrew Church in Noarlunga, a parishioner of ours, suffering from a debilitating skin condition, found unexpected and miraculous healing after a pilgrimage to her sacred site.
Moreover, my Presvytera, Stavroula, carries Chian blood being that, her father George’s family hails from that blessed island. And in the joy of our wider family, we welcomed the birth of a little niece named Markella, a name chosen with devotion and hope. These personal ties made our own pilgrimage to the site of her martyrdom a few years ago deeply meaningful. As we chanted the Paraklesis at her shrine, we witnessed the waters begin to churn with mysterious vigour around the sacred rock, an unmistakable sign of the Saint’s living presence.
Early life of Saint Markella of Chios
Saint Markella’s mother tirelessly imparted the teachings of Christ to her daughter, vividly narrating His incarnation, miracles, passion, and resurrection, alongside the inspiring lives and sacrifices of the saints and martyrs. This maternal nurturing deeply shaped Markella’s soul, instilling virtues of faith, purity, and spiritual strength, which blossomed abundantly even after her mother’s untimely death. Echoing Psalm 119:9, “How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word,” Markella dedicated herself wholeheartedly to spiritual growth.
Left alone with her father, Markella assumed household responsibilities with grace and patience, continuing to practice her faith quietly and diligently, despite her father’s disdain for religious devotion. Her unwavering commitment to Christ, though tested by his opposition, strengthened her spiritual resolve, rooting her deeply in prayer and the nurturing presence of the Theotokos. The Akathist hymn beautifully captures her spirit: “Just as the immaculate Virgin welcomed Jesus into her life, you also followed the Way, the Truth, and the Life.”
Even as a young girl, Saint Markella eschewed the rowdiness of other children and embraced a life of virtue. Her early years, marked by prayer and obedience, became a foundation for the intense spiritual battles she would later endure. The Paraklisis praises her as one “fully illumined through noetic light,” showing that her purity was not merely a personal quality but a divine grace cultivated through ascetic effort and attentiveness to God. In her life we see a young woman whose nous (her spiritual intellect) was continually lifted to behold the things of God (Colossians 3:1-2).
Saint Markella’s purity and spiritual beauty grew more evident with age, leading her father, tragically overcome by demonic temptation, to pursue her with unnatural desires. Markella courageously resisted these advances, guided by her unwavering love for Christ and devotion to purity, echoing Saint Paul’s exhortation to “flee sexual immorality” (1 Corinthians 6:18) and to “present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God” (Romans 12:1). The Kontakion from her Paraklisis likens her shrine to a fortress, saying, “The reliquary of your sacred rock has now become a hospital for illnesses, and a surrounding wall for those in storms.” Her martyrdom becomes not just a moment of witness, but the foundation of ongoing healing for the Church.
Forced to flee and her brutal murder
Forced to flee into the wilderness, she demonstrated remarkable courage and trust in divine providence, embodying the virtues extolled in her Akathist: “Deliver us, Saint Markella, virgin martyr and caretaker of our souls.” Her ordeal reminds us that we are called to take up the Cross daily, as she did in literal suffering, reflecting Christ’s words in Luke 9:23: “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me.”
Her relentless father pursued her fiercely, ultimately cornering her by the rocky shore of Chios. Amid desperate prayers for deliverance, a divine miracle occurred as the rocks opened to shield her purity, enveloping her body. Unable to extract her, her father brutally ended her life, beheading her and casting her head into the sea. Her martyrdom sanctified the surrounding waters, turning them into a source of miracles, reflecting Revelation 22:1, “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God.” The Akathist poignantly proclaims, “Deliver us, martyred in water made holy, sacrificed by blood that brings healing.”
The Paraklisis sings, “Your head, having been thrown into the sea, sanctifies the waters,” and again, “This water springs forth from your Precious Relic… This water has become like the Jordan on Chios… a spring freely pouring forth wonders and grace.” This living water becomes a spiritual symbol of Christ’s grace flowing from the Cross and Baptism, renewing all who approach with faith (John 7:38).
Site of martyrdom becomes a pilgrimage destination on Chios
The site of Markella’s martyrdom quickly became a miraculous pilgrimage destination. During our prayerful chanting of the Paraklesis service, we witnessed a remarkable miracle: the calm surrounding waters suddenly churned vigorously, rising upward around the sacred rock, an enduring testimony to Saint Markella’s continuing intercessory presence.
During our ministry at St Andrew Church in Noarlunga, South Australia, one of our parishioners suffered terribly from a debilitating skin condition affecting her hands and arms. Covered in painful, weeping sores from a psoriasis-like condition, she had endured prolonged agony. On pilgrimage to the shrine of Saint Markella in Chios, she was present for the Agiasmos service. The priest, having been told of her condition, gently invited her to place her afflicted hands and arms in the spring water which comes forth from beneath the ocean as it bubbled during the blessing. She experienced immediate comfort. By the following day, all her sores and inflammation were gone. To this day, she bears witness to Saint Markella’s miraculous healing power and intercession.
Saint Markella’s miracles have touched countless lives
Over centuries, Saint Markella’s miraculous intercessions have touched countless lives. She is renowned for numerous miracles of healing and deliverance, extending her influence beyond Chios, across Greece, and into the diaspora. Although Australia lacks churches dedicated explicitly to her, various Chian associations there deeply honour her, preserving devotion among Australian Orthodox communities, and celebrating her miracles and spiritual legacy.
Historical accounts speak of miraculous healings, such as those of paralyzed individuals and terminally ill children, each case attesting to her powerful intercessions. One soldier from Chios serving in the battle of Skra in 1917 testified to Saint Markella appearing and saving many Chiote soldiers. Recent miracles include a paralytic healed during liturgy, a young boy recovering sight, and a woman cured of paralysis on her feast day. Her sacred shrine, where warm, healing waters flow miraculously, continues to be a beacon of hope, healing, and spiritual renewal. Her Paraklisis declares, “Your temple has appeared as a free hospital,” where those who partake of the water “receive deliverance.”
Saint Markella exemplifies purity, steadfastness, and faithfulness, living out the Beatitude: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8). Her life speaks powerfully to modern challenges regarding family sanctity, purity, and courage under adversity. Saint John Chrysostom’s teaching is vividly echoed in her martyrdom, cautioning that parents bear great spiritual responsibility for nurturing their children toward holiness (Homily 21 on Ephesians).
The enduring legacy
The Akathist and Paraklisis services dedicated to Saint Markella not only offer rich spiritual insights but also practical guidance for believers today. They emphasize the transformative power of contemplative prayer, purity of heart, and obedience to God’s commandments. Believers are encouraged to emulate St Markella’s unwavering trust and devotion, her resilience in facing temptation, and her courage in safeguarding virtue at all costs. The Paraklisis underscores her role as a spiritual refuge and healer, depicting her shrine as a divine hospital where believers receive both physical and spiritual healing.
Saint Markella’s sufferings also speak to those who endure abuse or trauma, providing comfort through her intercessions. “Heal the many passions of all, granting health to the body and the soul,” prays the Paraklisis. This is the Church’s pastoral voice to a hurting world, urging those burdened with suffering to find renewal at the rock that once hid her. Her shrine has become a wellspring of divine consolation for those drowning in the “abyss of ignorance” and trials, as expressed in the concluding prayer of the Paraklisis: “Drowning in the abyss of ignorance, O martyr, deliver me who pray to you.”
The symbolism of water, integral to her martyrdom, serves as a powerful reminder of baptismal renewal, sanctification, and spiritual cleansing available to all who approach in faith. In one of the prayers read at the sacred spring, the faithful confess: “This spring is not a mere spring of water, but a spring freely pouring forth wonders and grace.” This is the deep mystery of God’s grace, made manifest in the least expected places, and through the most humble yet faithful witnesses.
Saint Markella’s story challenges contemporary society to uphold the sacredness of purity and to courageously resist moral compromise. Her legacy is a solemn call to preserve the sanctity of family and to defend innocence against corruption. Through her life and martyrdom, believers are inspired to embrace prayerful vigilance, purity of heart, and unyielding devotion to Christ. As articulated in her hymns, true fulfillment comes not from worldly ambitions, but from a life anchored deeply in Christ and His commandments (John 14:21).
In honouring Saint Markella, the Church invites us to emulate her unwavering fidelity and unshakeable courage, seeking her intercession for purity, strength, and spiritual vigilance. Let us invoke her prayerfully, confident in her advocacy before Christ, and inspired by her enduring example to pursue holiness, resilience, and divine love. Through the prayers of Saint Markella, may Christ our God have mercy on us and grant us healing, purity, and eternal communion with Him.
