Lives of the Saints

Venerable Stephen the Hymnographer of Saint Savva Monastery

Saint Stephen the Hymnographer of Saint Savva Monastery, lived the ascetic life at the Lavra of Saint Savva in Palestine. He and Andrew the Blind were among the first to compose hymns (idiomela) for the period between the Publican and Pharisee and Palm Sunday. He does not appear to be the same…

Repose of Saint Arsenius, Archbishop of Serbia

Repose of Saint Arsenius, Archbishop of Serbia

Saint Arsenius, Archbishop of Pec, was born in Srem. He spent a large part of his life as a monk at the Zhicha monastery under the spiritual direction of Saint Savva (January 14). Because of his strict ascetic life, Saint Savva made him the igumen of the monastery. When Serbia was invaded by…

Greatmartyr Paraskevi of Iconium

Greatmartyr Paraskevi of Iconium

The Great Martyr Paraskevi (Paraskevḗ) of Iconium, lived during the third century in a rich and pious family. The parents of the saint especially reverenced Friday, the day of the Passion of the Lord, and therefore they called their daughter Paraskevi. This name, Paraskevi, also means Friday.…

Repose of Venerable Job the Wonderworker, Abbot of Pochaev

Repose of Venerable Job the Wonderworker, Abbot of Pochaev

Saint Job, Abbot and Wonderworker of Pochaev (in the world named Ivan Zhelezo), was born around 1551 in Pokutia in Galicia. At age ten he came to the Transfiguration Ugornits monastery, and at age twelve he received monastic tonsure with the name Job. The venerable Job from his youth was known for…

Saint Demetrius (Dimitri), Metropolitan of Rostov

Saint Demetrius (Dimitri), Metropolitan of Rostov

Saint Demetrius, Metropolitan of Rostov (in the world Daniel Savvich Tuptalo), was born in December 1651 in the locale of Makarovo, not far from Kiev. He was born into a pious family and grew up a deeply believing Christian. In 1662, soon after his parents resettled to Kiev, Daniel was sent to the…

Martyrs Terence and Neonila, and their children

Martyrs Terence and Neonila, and their children

Saint Terence was from Syria, and suffered for Christ with his wife Neonila and their seven children Sabelus, Photius, Theodoulus, Vele, Hierax, Nitus, and Eunice. They were denounced as Christians and brought before the authorities for interrogation. The saints confessed Christ and mocked the…

Hieromartyr Cyriacus, Patriarch of Jerusalem

The Hieromartyr Cyriacus, Patriarch of Jerusalem, was a Jew who pointed out to the holy Empress Helen the place where the Life-Creating Cross of Christ lay buried (September 14). Being present at the discovery of the Cross, Cyriacus (before Baptism he was named Jude) sincerely came to believe in…

Venerable John the Chozebite

Saint John the Chozebite, Bishop of Caesarea in Palestine (587-596), was famed for his struggle against the Eutychian heresy, and also for his grace-filled gifts of discernment and wonderworking. He was born in the Egyptian city of Thebes and while still a youth he spent a long time with his uncle,…

Martyr Neophytus of Urbin, Georgia

Martyr Neophytus of Urbin, Georgia

The holy hieromartyr Neophytus of Urbnisi descended from a line of Persian fire-worshippers. In the 7th century, by order of the Saracen emir Mumni (Mu’min), the military leader Ahmad attacked Georgia with an enormous army. After overrunning the central part of Shida (Inner) Kartli, Ahmad…

Venerable Athanasius the Younger, Patriarch of Constantinople

Saint Athanasius I, Patriarch of Constantinople (1289-1293; 1303-1311), in the world Alexius, was from Adrianopolis. While still in his youth, thriving upon the knowledge of the wisdom of Christ, he left his home and went to Thessalonica, where he was tonsured in one of the monasteries with the…

Saint Arsenius of Cappadocia

Saint Arsenius of Cappadocia

Saint Arsenius of Farasa is the priest who baptised Elder Paisios the Athonite and gave him his Christian name—Arsenios.