Saint
Bessarion Sarai
New Calendar November 3 Old Calendar November 16
Why they are a saint
Visarion Saraj also known as Visarion Sarai was an Orthodox cleric who was targeted by members of the Habsburg Dynasty for speaking his mind which led to him being imprisoned in Deva and then sent to a jail in Timișoara and from there to Sankt Ruprecht an der Raab before being tortured to death in the dungeon of the Kufstein Fortress in the Kaiser Mountains of the city of Tyrol.
Patronage / why chosen as patron
Orthodox Christians usually take Bessarion Sarai as a patron when they bear the name Bessarion at baptism, or were born or baptized near the feast on November 3. Serbian Orthodox faithful also honor his as one of their own.
Prayer
O holy Bessarion Sarai, pray to God for us.
A short general prayer to a saint, not a liturgical text. No public-domain troparion for this saint is included.