Feast Day: April 9

Patron of:

• against evil spirits
• Belgrade, Serbia
• Crusaders
• Salonica, Greece
• Thessaloniki, Greece

Born in the 3rd century to a wealthy, noble family and raised Christian, Demetrius was well-educated and became a professional public speaker. He was a soldier, a deacon, and the Duke of Thessaly under emperor Maximian in A.D. 190. His explanations of Christianity brought many converts which brought him to the attention of the authorities. He was arrested and imprisoned in a bath-house during the persecutions of Diocletian. He was martyred by being run through with spears circa A.D. 306. He was reported to have appeared during a battle in 586, centuries after his death, to help defend Thessalonika.