Church of Saint Marina Porto Rafti

The church of St. Marina was founded on June 3, 1950. It was designed by the architect Vasilios Nikolaidis. The foundations of the old single-aisled church are preserved near the new church. St. Marina was a Christian saint and martyr from Asia Minor, who lived at the end of the 3rd century AD in Antioch of Pisidia, in Asia Minor. Her mother died shortly after she was born. Her father, who was a pagan, entrusted her education to a Christian woman. This woman taught St. Marina Christianity. At the age of 15, she revealed to her father that she was a Christian. Her father forced her to leave. Later, the prefect Olybrius learned that St. Marina was a Christian. After ordering her arrest and interrogation, he subjected her to cruel torture to make her renounce her faith, which she did not do. The prefect beheaded St. Marina. Her relics are in Athens, in the church of Saint Marina, while her hand is in the monastery of Vatopedi on Mount Athos. Saint Marina is celebrated on July 17th.