CrucisSt. Elizabeth the New Martyr
St. Elizabeth the New Martyr was born on 1 November 1864 a princess of Hesse and a granddaughter of Queen Victoria, and married the Grand Duke Sergei of Russia, becoming a grand duchess of the imperial house. Raised a Lutheran, she embraced the Orthodox faith of her adopted country from deep conviction. When her husband was assassinated by a revolutionary in 1905, she astonished all by visiting his killer in prison to forgive him and to plead for his soul.
After his death she gave away her jewels and possessions and founded in Moscow the convent of Saints Martha and Mary, a community of sisters devoted to prayer and to the care of the poor and the sick, among whom she labored humbly in the slums of the city. When the Bolsheviks seized power, she was arrested and, on 18 July 1918, cast alive with several companions down a mineshaft near Alapaevsk, where they perished. Glorified as a saint and new martyr in 1992, she is remembered for her charity and forgiveness.
Selected quotes
“Forgive those who wrong you, and pray for them as Christ prayed from the Cross.”
“Go to your death without bitterness, blessing even those who hate you.”
“Give up the comforts of rank to serve the poor and the suffering.”