On December 13th, our Church celebrates the Five Holy Martyrs: Eustratius, Auxentius, Eugene, Mardarius and Orestes; and the Holy Virgin Martyr Lucy. The church that bears the name of the Five Holy Martyr is located in Bestrova village in Vlora. To celebrate this holy day with the believers the Bishop of Berat, Vlore and Kanina, His Grace Ignati, came and led the Divine Liturgy on this occasion. He was assisted by other clergy: Father Kostandin Prifti, Father Ilia Qirjo, Father Lluka Gjergji, Father Spiro Bulika and the Deacon Anastas Vrapi. At the conclusion of the Liturgy the Bishop told the believers about the lives of the Five Martyrs. He addressed the faithful with these words: “My dear brothers in Christ, saints help us with their vibrant presence in our lives. They intervene in a wonderful way and save us from various hazards. They worship God in the Church together with us, with their invisible presence. They are with us, on the holy disk, at the most sacred point of the Divine Liturgy. And they help us with their strong, accurate, clean, current and alive words. Saints preach to us about everything and inspire us with their holy lives. Their lives are commendable living statues, true monuments of virtue that they teach and invite us to imitate them. Our Saints! The world rejects them. The Church honors them and asks for their prayers. They are martyred and are praised….”
In the Church of “Five Martyrs” rests the relics of the Bishop of Apollonia, His Grace Kozma. The Clergy and the faithful went to the resting place of his body and chanted together the Service of Trisagion.
Father Spiro Bulika
