Archimandrite Eleftherios Noufrakis (1872 - August 5, 1941)

From the village of Alones, southwest of Rethymno on Crete, he was a Greek Military Priest, serving between 1912 and 1940, reaching the rank of Major.

He saw action in Macedonia, Epirus, Northern Epirus, Thrace, Lesvos, Chios, WW1, Crimea, Ionia and elsewhere throughout Asia Minor and at his advanced age, during the Greco-Italian War.

He is most known for performing the only Divine Liturgy inside the Church of Agia Sofia in Constantinople, since the Fall of the City in 1453.

In January 1919, Noufrakis on a ship with a Greek fleet on their way to Crimea, sailed through the Bosporus and gazed on the Great Greek City and the glorious Agia Sofia, eventually stopping & disembarking in Constantinople. Constantinople at the time was controlled by the victorious allies of WW1 – UK, France, Italy, Greece.

Noufrakis accompanied by a group of Greek officers, headed straight for Agia Sofia, to fulfil a plan they had made days earlier. They would perform the Divine Liturgy inside the Great Church.

A next to impossible mission. Agia Sofia had become a mosque & it was guarded, Turks were also free to come and go at any given time. Not to mention potentially creating a diplomatic incident.

Noufrakis was undeterred, reaching the Agia Sofia he asked one of the officers if he could be his chanter, which he replied yes. Entering the Agia Sofia he found a small table and set up everything he needed. Ευλογημένη η Βασιλεία του Πατρός και του Υιού και του Αγίου Πνεύματος, νυν και αεί και εις τους αιώνας των αιώνων, Αμήν responded the officer and the Divine Liturgy had started.

The small group of Greeks crossed themselves, after 466 years, the Agia Sofia was once again hearing the sounds of a Greek Orthodox Liturgy.

Before too long a commotion started, Turks seeing what was going on began to be troubled, Father Eleftherios continued unperturbed. The Turks became irritated, meanwhile Greeks of the City also began entering, curious to see what was going on.

The officers with Noufrakis received Holy Communion and they managed to complete the Divine Liturgy.

The Agia Sofia was now full of angry Turks, the small group of officers with Father Eleftherios headed for the exit, 1 Turk managed to get close enough to strike Father Eleftherios with a blow before they continued on towards the waterfront, reaching the Greek warships safe and sound.

There was a brief diplomatic incident, but Noufrakis was congratulated for his courage and patriotism, as he had fulfilled the wishes of an entire nation.