Saint Joseph the New of Partos lived as a monk at Vatopaidi Monastery on the Holy Mountain for 62 years (1588-1650) when he was elected to be the Metropolitan of Timisoara, which is a city in Romania at that time under Turkish occupation. At 82 years of age, Saint Joseph had already become well known for his virtues and holiness.
Ecumenical Patriarch Parthenios (1644-1646, 1648-1651) ordained him Metropolitan in Constantinople, and from there he left for Timisoara with the permission of the Patriarchate, to whose jurisdiction the Holy Mountain belonged and still belongs today.
On the journey to Timisoara, when he arrived with his carriage to cross the Danube by ferry to Palanka, the horses were frightened and did not want to do the crossing.
Then his deacon Damaskinos, who was with the Saint, took the horses by the bridle and tried to make them cross the Danube. This was in vain, for the horses trembled and foamed at the mouth and the coachman began to curse them.
Then Saint Joseph got out of the carriage and rebuked the caochman for his curse words, then he took the reins from the hands of Damaskinos.
He spoke calmly to the horses, who immediately boarded the ferry and remained calm until they passed to the opposite side. All who were present marveled and knelt before the Saint and kissed his cassock, because they knew that he was chosen by God, since the beasts also submitted to him.
From there they set out to go to Banat, but when they got there it got dark and a windstorm began that darkened the sky so much that they could not see anything.
Then a heavy rain started and the two coachmen lost their way and did not find Banat. Saint Joseph and his entourage slept all the way and when the windstorm stopped and dawned they found themselves in a village.
When they entered the village, a gang of Turkish cavalry came out in front of them and stopped them. The Saint stuck his head out of the carriage and the chief on horseback asked him who the great infidel priest was.
To this question all his entourage were afraid but the Saint answered that he was.
Then Aga Ishmael, as the horseman was called, dismounted from his horse and calmly begged the Saint in the name of Allah and Jesus to return to Banat, because his first female chambermaid had been in labor for three days and an angel appeared to her, who she said that until the carriage with the great priest - who is going to Timisoara - passes in front of the door of the harem, Allah will not give her relief.
The angel foretold this to her, that the Aga would go at dawn to the village of Zama and wait for the Metropolitan, where he found him, and return him to Banat.
Aga Ishmael asked the Saint to come back with him and he would offer as much as he asked for.
Saint Joseph ordered the horsemen to return and told Aga that he was going not for worldly goods, but to fulfill the will of God. Then, the priest Haralambos who was in the escort checked the Metropolitan if it is right what he is going to do, that is, to listen to the request of a pagan and to satisfy his will?
The Saint rebuked him for his words.
The Saint, afterwards, did not say another word but immersed himself in prayer.
When the carriage passed in front of the entrance of the harem, the female chambermaid immediately was able to give birth to a boy. Aga Ishmael ran behind the carriage, stopped it and kissed the right hand of Saint Joseph, weeping like a child.
Before the Saint arrived in Timisoara, he was preceded by fifty Turkish cavalry sent by Pasha Fasli of Timisoara, to accompany him to the city, because he heard about the miracle that the Saint performed in Banat.
Ecumenical Patriarch Parthenios (1644-1646, 1648-1651) ordained him Metropolitan in Constantinople, and from there he left for Timisoara with the permission of the Patriarchate, to whose jurisdiction the Holy Mountain belonged and still belongs today.
On the journey to Timisoara, when he arrived with his carriage to cross the Danube by ferry to Palanka, the horses were frightened and did not want to do the crossing.
Then his deacon Damaskinos, who was with the Saint, took the horses by the bridle and tried to make them cross the Danube. This was in vain, for the horses trembled and foamed at the mouth and the coachman began to curse them.
Then Saint Joseph got out of the carriage and rebuked the caochman for his curse words, then he took the reins from the hands of Damaskinos.
He spoke calmly to the horses, who immediately boarded the ferry and remained calm until they passed to the opposite side. All who were present marveled and knelt before the Saint and kissed his cassock, because they knew that he was chosen by God, since the beasts also submitted to him.
From there they set out to go to Banat, but when they got there it got dark and a windstorm began that darkened the sky so much that they could not see anything.
Then a heavy rain started and the two coachmen lost their way and did not find Banat. Saint Joseph and his entourage slept all the way and when the windstorm stopped and dawned they found themselves in a village.
When they entered the village, a gang of Turkish cavalry came out in front of them and stopped them. The Saint stuck his head out of the carriage and the chief on horseback asked him who the great infidel priest was.
To this question all his entourage were afraid but the Saint answered that he was.
Then Aga Ishmael, as the horseman was called, dismounted from his horse and calmly begged the Saint in the name of Allah and Jesus to return to Banat, because his first female chambermaid had been in labor for three days and an angel appeared to her, who she said that until the carriage with the great priest - who is going to Timisoara - passes in front of the door of the harem, Allah will not give her relief.
The angel foretold this to her, that the Aga would go at dawn to the village of Zama and wait for the Metropolitan, where he found him, and return him to Banat.
Aga Ishmael asked the Saint to come back with him and he would offer as much as he asked for.
Saint Joseph ordered the horsemen to return and told Aga that he was going not for worldly goods, but to fulfill the will of God. Then, the priest Haralambos who was in the escort checked the Metropolitan if it is right what he is going to do, that is, to listen to the request of a pagan and to satisfy his will?
The Saint rebuked him for his words.
The Saint, afterwards, did not say another word but immersed himself in prayer.
When the carriage passed in front of the entrance of the harem, the female chambermaid immediately was able to give birth to a boy. Aga Ishmael ran behind the carriage, stopped it and kissed the right hand of Saint Joseph, weeping like a child.
Before the Saint arrived in Timisoara, he was preceded by fifty Turkish cavalry sent by Pasha Fasli of Timisoara, to accompany him to the city, because he heard about the miracle that the Saint performed in Banat.
