St Elizabeth the New Martyr
Celebrated July 18th
St Elizabeth the New Martyr is a beloved saint celebrated throughout the world, and we would consider her to be a modern-day saint as she was canonized into the Orthodox Church in by the Moscow Patriarchate of the Orthodox Church in 1992.
In this guide you’ll find simple and easy ideas to celebrate the the Feast of St Elizabeth the New Martyr as a family - emphasis on easy! Activity suggestions, book recommendations, song links, and additional information so you can share his story and what this feast is all about!
Scroll to learn more about St Elizabeth the New Martyr and find activity and reading suggestions to celebrate this feast with your family!
Life of St Elizabeth the New Martyr - St. Elizabeth was Granddaughter of Queen Victoria, the second child and daughter of Grand Duke Louis IV of Hesse (now Germany) and Princess Alice of the United Kingdom. She was affectionately known as “Ella” by her family. When she was 14, diphtheria swept through and her mother and her 4-year-old sister both died. This changed Princess Ella’s life completely. She helped her father raise her younger siblings. When she was 20, Princess Ella married the grand prince Sergei Alexandrovich of Russia, whom she had known since childhood because he and his family would come for visits. When she married, she became a Grand Duchess, and moved to Russia. The Duchess had been raised as a Lutheran Christian.
Her conversion to Orthodoxy - Now that she was living in Russia, she encountered Orthodoxy which she knew very little about before moving there. She wanted to understand the faith of her husband and her people, so she began to read and study it. Over time (and especially during a visit to the Holy Land) it became clear to her that she wanted to become Orthodox. She wrote a beautiful letter to her father, explaining that she wanted to become Orthodox (her husband was not forcing her to do so). she was Chrismated into the Holy Orthodox Church on Lazarus Saturday in 1891.
Like many converts to the Orthodox Faith, the Grand Duchess had to deal with the negative reaction of her family. "Once the decision was reached, it proved a difficult task to make it known to her relatives. She writes to them at this time that she is "intensely happy," but that it pains her to cause grief to her beloved family. And yet her determination was firm, "I am sure God's blessing will accompany my act which I do with such fervent belief, with the feeling that I may become a better Christian and be one step nearer to God." Explaining the reasons for her decision, she writes in a letter: "Above all one's conscience must be pure and true... many will -- I know -- scream about (it), yet I feel it brings me nearer to God... You tell me that the outer brilliance of the church charmed me... in that you are mistaken -- nothing in the outer signs attracted me -- no -- the service, the service, the outer signs are only to remind us of the inner things."
Her husband’s murder and life as a nun - Grand Duke Serge was killed by an assassin’s bomb on February 4, 1905, just as St Elizabeth was leaving for her workshops. She visited her husband’s killer in prison and urged him to repent, giving him an icon. After her husband’s murder, she began to withdraw from her former social life. She founded the Convent of Sts. Martha and Mary in Moscow, a community of nuns which focused on worshiping God and helping the poor. She sold all her fine clothes and jewels, and moved out of her palace into the buildings that she had purchased on behalf of the convent. Having given away her considerable wealth, she founded hospitals, orphanages, and cared for the sick and impoverished with her own hands.
Martyrdom - Even more remarkable is the story of her assassination at the hands of the Bolsheviks, who took Saint Elizabeth and several other members of the Russian royal family to an abandoned mineshaft in the middle of the night. The night of July 18, they were taken out into a woods and thrown down an empty mine shaft. As she was thrown in, Abbess Elizabeth quoted Christ, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do!” (Luke 23:34). Unlike most of the others, Abbess Elizabeth did not fall all 180+ feet to the bottom of the mine shaft. Instead, she landed on a ledge about 45 feet down. Another member of the royal family landed there as well, and was later found with his injuries bandaged (by either her handkerchief or part of her veil, depending on the version you read), so even in the process of being martyred, Abbess Elizabeth was helping others by using whatever she had! The Abbess and her fellow martyrs were heard singing the Cherubic Hymn and other hymns of the church as their executioners threw grenades into the mine shaft and then left them to die.
SOURCES: OCA and Orthodox Wiki and HERE
In the shop:
Activity Ideas to Celebrate St Elizabeth the New Martyr:
Host a tea party! St Elizabeth was a Princess from the Royal Family, so tea time was likely a common experience growing up. St Elizabeth is my daughter’s patron saint, so every year we host a ‘St Elizabeth Tea Party” inviting a few friends to join us! For this tea party we set out our finest pieces, buy flowers for the table, and display the icon of St Elizabeth as our centerpiece. We usually make tea sandwiches and serve cookies along with our tea. Check out this Royal Tea Czar Nicholas II.
Donate items to a local shelter - One known quality about St Elizabeth is her desire to help the needy, the poor and the suffering. This would be a good opportunity to buy some extra food or clothing and donate to a local shelter. Top Needs for Shelters During Summer Months:
Food
Bottled Water
Backpacks
Portable water carriers
Underwear for men, women and children
Shoes and socks
Umbrellas
Create a Feast Day Table Scene - There’s no right way to do this. Collect items that remind you of her. Maybe a little church, a cross (her martyrdom), a white cloth like the one she wore when she became a nun, print a photo of her or display her icon. Check out this print which would be perfect for a feast day table display! I also love this St Elizabeth print by Sleightholm Folk which I purchased last year for my daughter’s name day.
Sing “O Lord Save Thy People” - It is said that as she was being martyred in the mine shaft, she was singing the Troparion of the Holy Cross. As we remember her, we can also remember Christ, who by the power of the cross saves us . You can listen to it in 3 languages in this video on YouTube HERE.
Make Russian Tea Cookies! St Elizabeth married her husband, who was the Russian Czar. Check out these yummy tea cookies - which are shortbread-like dough, studded with chopped nuts, a little crumbly and covered in powdered sugar. You can find a recipe HERE.
Book Recommendations:
Holy New Martyr Elizabeth Grand Duchess of Russia by Catalin Grigore - This book is beautiful! I love the full color illustrations alongside the simple story of the life of St Elizabeth. It is written for children 7 and up, but my children were able to sit and listen to it from 4 on up!
101 Orthodox Saints by Ancient Faith Publishing - features St Elizabeth
My Synaxarion July by Potamitis Publishing - features her on July 5th
Ella's Story: The Duchess Who Became A Saint (OUT OF PRINT)- This chapter book tells the story of St. Elizabeth the New Martyr for ages 9+:
Encountering Women of Faith, Vol. I by Kyriaki FitzGerald - St. Elizabeth the New Martyr is one of the women saints featured in this book.
Books For Older Kids/Teens:
Grand Duchess Elizabeth of Russia - New Martyr of the Communist Yoke - Biography of St Elizabeth
Additional Resources:
Service to St Elizabeth the New Martyr - click the link to have access to the full printable PDF
PRAYER TO OUR VENERABLE MOTHER, THE NEW MARTYR ELIZABETH
O holy and wondrous Elizabeth, New Martyr of Russia! With thy whole heart, thou didst embrace the Holy Orthodox Faith and the Russian people, and until thy last breath, thou didst serve them with fervor and love. Thou didst endure threefold trials to the glory of the Holy Trinity: in thy royalty, no haughtiness was to be found; in thy monasticism, thou was not neglectful; and in thy martyrdom, thou didst endure fully to the end. And now, О Bride of Christ, thou dost stand before the throne of the King of All, together with thy faithful compan¬ion, the Nun Barbara, singing the thrice-holy hymn to the Holy Trinity. Pray fervently that the Russian land may be delivered from the godless ones and from all evil, for the forgiveness of our iniquities, and for the strengthening and protection of our community (family, church, city
My oldest on her name day
Final Thoughts
When it comes to Feast Days, I always prioritize 2 things: (1) Attending the service and (2) telling my children about the feast day prior - or afterwards. Usually this is done by showing them the icon or reading the account from their Children’s Bible. If I can do those two things, I feel a great sense of success! My hope is that these feasts days imprint on their hearts during their childhood and they have a greater love for our Savior as they grow up because of them. Now, if you are able to do those two things, you’re a gold star! Bravo! If you are in a season where you want to go a little deeper and make those connections stronger, I will cheer you on and encourage you on that venture. Some seasons allow for more, especially as children grow older. But if you find yourself in a busy season with littles, rest assured, you have many many years ahead to be able to add more to your plate!