St. Gabriel, patriarch of Serbia (1659)

Commemorated on August 30 and December 13

Holy Patriarch Gabriel was born into the noble Raich family. In 1655 together with the Patriarch of Antioch he was present at the Council in Russia, convened by Tsar Alexei Michailovich for deciding the question of correcting the liturgical books. Having received in Russia generous alms for Serbia, which at that time was suffering distress, St. Gabriel returned to his country. But here he was accused of high treason and for his unwillingness to accept the Moslem faith he died in 1659 as a martyr.