The Church commemorates New Martyr Michael from Cyprus, who was martyred in Makri, Thrace.
In 1821, due to the violence and massacres caused by the Turks after the beginning of the Greek revolution, Michael, along with four young residents of Samothrace, George, Michael, Theodore and George, converted to Islam to save their lives.
The Turks then transferred them to other areas until the end of the revolution. Then the five apostates returned to Samothrace and, after reconverting to Christianism, joined the Greek inhabitants of the island. However, this was unacceptable under the Islamic law of the time and was punishable by death.
That is why the other Christians advised them to go to the free Greek state, where they could live without any danger. All of them had decided to stay in the place where they had renounced the Christian faith so that, if necessary, they would be martyred.
Eventually, the Turks arrested them and took them to Makri in Thrace. There they were tortured and asked to become Muslims again. They refused and were executed on April 6, 1835, the day after Sunday of Thomas.
From then on, the people honored them as saints and paid their respects as if they were martyrs. New Marty Michael, along with Martyrs Manuel, Theodore, George, Michael from Samothrace, were canonized 150 years later, on May 17, 1985, by the Ecumenical Patriarchate. The memory of the five new martyrs was set to be celebrated on Sunday of Thomas.
Source: Church of Cyprus