Life of St. Markella

Saint Markella was born and raised in Volissos, in this historic capital village of northwestern Chios. About the time of the saint’s birth, life and martyrdom there is confusion and ambiguity among biographers.

According to her biographer, Saint Nikiforos of Chios (1750 – 1821), the virgin martyr of Chios lived and flourished around 1500. Her father was a pagan and her Christian mother died at a young age.

Markella was distinguished early on for her deep faith and love for Jesus Christ, her goodness and purity, her modesty and gentleness of soul. Endowed with divine wisdom and countless psychic gifts, she communicated with God without interruption. However, Lucifer envied this “earthly angel” and wanted to fight her by any means.

Thus her idolatrous and hard-hearted father began to lust after his own daughter and to feel towards her an inexhaustible carnal desire.

When Markella found out the shameless character of her sarcolati father, she left the parental home and sought refuge in the mountains of the area. Then her father, driven by his beastly appetites and with indescribable fury, began to search to find the young and beautiful Markella.

As soon as the unfortunate and fearful daughter became aware of her father’s frantic pursuit to discover the place where he was hiding, she tried to protect herself and save her chastity and honesty. A large reed was the safe refuge of the saint.

But a shepherd noticed Markella and pointed out the bush to her maniacal father. Then the father set fire to the bush to force her out of it. Markella managed and found a way out and thus escaped from the hands of her sarco-loving father.

She then began to run over the stones and rocks, but her father seeing the difficulty of reaching her, decided to mark her with his bow. So he shot an arrow at her. The saint was wounded and her pure blood watered the rocks.

However, she did not lose her mental strength and continued to run. But her physical strength began to leave her and at some point she fell down suffering and hurt. Her deep and unwavering faith helped her to find the saving solution.

With her eyes fixed on the Heavenly Bridegroom, Whom she loved so much, she prayed and asked Him to split the rock and hide her inside. The prayer of the saint came true and thus the rock split open and received the body of the virtuous Markella up to the chest.

The father, arriving at the place and seeing this paradoxical miracle, was so enraged that he cut off her breasts with a knife and threw them on the mountain. He then beheaded his daughter and threw her head into the sea.

According to tradition an unusual glow began to emit from the head of the saint who was crowned with the heavenly and indestructible crown of sport and divine glory.