St. Barthlomew

St. John the Baptist, also known as the Forerunner, is one of the most revered saints in the Orthodox Church and the last of the Old Testament prophets. He was the son of Zechariah the priest and Elizabeth, both righteous before God. His miraculous birth was announced by the Archangel Gabriel, and he was filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb (Luke 1:15).

John lived a life of asceticism in the wilderness, clothed in camel’s hair with a leather belt, and feeding on locusts and wild honey (Matthew 3:4). His fiery preaching called people to repentance and prepared the way for the coming of the Messiah. He baptised multitudes in the Jordan River as a sign of cleansing from sin, and most notably, he baptised Jesus Christ, witnessing the Theophany—the revelation of the Holy Trinity.

His boldness in truth led him to confront King Herod for his unlawful marriage to Herodias, which ultimately resulted in John’s imprisonment and martyrdom by beheading.

The Orthodox Church honours him as the bridge between the Old and New Covenants—the Prophet, Preacher, and Martyr. Christ Himself said, “Among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist” (Matthew 11:11).