Wood icon, "Saint Ephraim of Nea Makri", miniature, 7x10cm

Manually painted wood icon of Saint Ephraim of Nea Makri. Miniature measuring 7x10 cm. Original artwork.

St. Ephraim of Nea Makri or St. Ephraim of Mount Amomon (Greek: Άγιος Εφραίμ Νέας Μάκρης / του Όρους των Αμωμών), believed to have lived from 1384 to 1426, is venerated as a martyr and miracle-working saint by many Orthodox Christians of Greece and abroad. His status as a saint is controversial to the secular West, as there are no sources testifying to his existence as a historical person. Believers regard him as a "newly revealed" ("νεοφανείς") saint, whose existence is a matter of divine revelation rather than historical proof. He has become one of the most beloved saints in the last thirty years and is a center of pilgrimage for the entire country of Greece. His martyric death is commemorated by the church May 5 and the discovery of his relics January 3. The relics were discovered through divine intervention in 1950; 524 years after his death. He was formally glorified by Constantinople March 2011.