After this, another miracle, the Turks did not dare to touch the martyr, fearing that they too would suffer, like the imam. Thus, the holy martyr Constantine remained in prison for five months, enduring hunger, thirst and cold. Meanwhile, the Lord, who cares for His saints, inspired one God-loving Christian to bring him the Holy Mysteries, with which the prisoner of Christ strengthened his spirit and weakened body.
The holy martyr spent so long in prison because Hassan did not dare to autocratically condemn him, as a native of the island of Hydra, to death, fearing the strength and power that the Idriots had in Porte, especially the captain of the Pasha of the Archipelago. Therefore, he wrote a letter to Captain George, originally from the island of Hydra, who was then in Alexandria. Informing him about the case of the holy martyr Constantine and awaiting an answer, Hassan postponed the final verdict.
Meanwhile, the holy prisoner of Christ, having learned that Hassan had sent a report, and fearing that there would be no obstacle to his feat from Captain George, he himself wrote a letter to him and conjured him in the name of God not to prevent him from committing a martyrdom. Captain George, having received a letter from the holy martyr and seeing his fiery desire to suffer for Christ, wrote to the ruler of Rhodes: “We do not know this man, and therefore do with him as you wish.”
Having received the answer, Hassan called the holy sufferer to him and once again offered to renounce Christ. But, seeing his firmness and disregard for all the honors offered, he ordered to be taken back to prison and strangled there.
Thus, on November 14, 1800, at 5 o’clock at night, the holy martyr Constantine valiantly ended his life. His holy soul, purified by its blood, went clean into the hands of God to receive the crown of martyrdom from Him. The Christians, without restraint, took his body from prison with due honor and buried it in the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos in Varusion. During the burial of the holy relics, the good God glorified His saint with miracles: the sick, suffering from various diseases, received healing from touching them.
Soon after his martyrdom, the mother of Saint Constantine, having learned that her son had suffered with honor for confessing the name of Jesus Christ and that his honorable relics were buried in Rhodes, wished to transfer them to her fatherland, which she was allowed to do with the assistance of the mentioned captain George.
During the transfer of the holy relics, many miracles also occurred. Among them, we cite here the following: one Rhodian Christian, when struck by lightning, lost his hearing, voice and was out of his mind. When they brought him to the relics of the holy martyr and he kissed them, he immediately became healthy. Another unfortunate man also received healing, having suffered for three years from a demon tormenting him: he ran from people and wandered through the mountains naked and barefoot. As soon as the holy relics of the martyr were brought closer to this unfortunate man, the demon immediately left, and he loudly began to glorify God and thank His holy saint. Thus God was pleased to glorify those who suffered for Him and to shame the tormentors.
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St. Paisiy Velichkovsky († 1794)