From the Prologue of Ochrid
This glorious and wonder-working saint was born in the city of Thessalonica to parents both noble and devout. Having been implored from God by his childless parents, Demetrius was their only son, and for that reason was raised and educated with great care. His father was the military governor of Thessalonica; and when his father died, the emperor appointed Demetrius as governor in his father's place. In appointing him governor, the Christ-fighting Emperor Maximian specifically charged him to persecute and exterminate the Christians in Thessalonica. But Demetrius not only did not obey the emperor but, on the contrary, openly confessed and preached Christ the Lord in the city of Thessalonica. Hearing this, the emperor was greatly embittered against Demetrius, and when he was once returning from a war against the Sarmatians, Emperor Maximian stopped in Thessalonica specifically to investigate the matter. The emperor therefore summoned Governor Demetrius and questioned him about his faith. Demetrius openly confessed before the emperor that he was a Christian, and furthermore denounced the emperor's idolatry. The enraged emperor cast Demetrius into prison. Knowing what awaited him, Demetrius entrusted all his possessions to his faithful servant Lupus to distribute to the poor, and he went to prison joyful that suffering for Christ the Lord lay before him. In prison an angel of God appeared to him and said: "Peace to thee, O sufferer for Christ, be of good courage and be strong!" After several days the emperor sent soldiers into the prison to slay Demetrius. The soldiers found the saint of God at prayer and pierced him with spears. Christians secretly took his body and buried it with honor. From the body of this sufferer for Christ, healing myrrh began to flow, by which many of the sick were cured. Soon a small church was erected over the relics. A certain Illyrian nobleman named Leontius was sick with an incurable disease. He hastened to the relics of Saint Demetrius with prayer and was completely healed. Out of gratitude, Leontius built a much larger church in place of the old one. The saint appeared to him on two occasions. When Emperor Justinian wished to transfer the relics of the saint from Thessalonica to Constantinople, fiery sparks shot out from the tomb and a voice was heard: "Stop, and do not touch!" And so the relics of Saint Demetrius remained forever in Thessalonica. As the protector of Thessalonica, Saint Demetrius appeared many times and many times saved Thessalonica from great calamity. His miracles are without number. The Russians consider Saint Demetrius the patron of Siberia, which was conquered and annexed to Russia on October 26, 1581.
