Lives of the Saints

Holy Wonderworkers and Unmercenaries Cosmas and Damian of Mesopotamia

Holy Wonderworkers and Unmercenaries Cosmas and Damian of Mesopotamia

The Holy Wonderworkers and Unmercenary Physicians Cosmas and Damian and their mother Saint Theodota were natives of Asia Minor (some sources say Mesopotamia). Their pagan father died while they were still quite small children. Their mother raised them in Christian piety. Through her own example,…

Saint Theodota, mother of the Unmercenaries Cosmas and Damian

Saint Theodota was the mother of Holy Wonderworkers and Unmercenaries Cosmas and Damian of Mesopotamia. They were all natives of Asia Minor. Her pagan husband died while her children were still quite small, but she raised them in Christian piety. Through her own example, and by reading holy books…

Hieromartyrs John the Bishop and Jacob (James) the Presbyter, of Persia

Hieromartyrs John the Bishop and Jacob (James) the Presbyter, of Persia

The Hieromartyrs John the Bishop and James the Presbyter (known as "the zealot"), lived during the reign of the Persian King Shapur II1 and preached the true Faith, and many devout persons were attracted to it. The Saints were arrested by Shapur and, after being subjected to cruel torments, they…

Martyrs Kyriaina and Juliana in Cilicia

Martyrs Kyriaina and Juliana in Cilicia

The Holy Martyr Kyriaina (Κυριαίνα) was from Tarsus in Cilicia, and Saint Juliana was from the city of Roso. These virtuous women devoted themselves to works of charity and Christian philanthropy during the reign of Emperor Maximian Galerius (305-311). They cared for orphans, comforted poor…

Martyr Hermenegild the Goth of Spain

The Holy Martyr Hermenegild, Prince of the Goths in Spain (+ 586), abandoned the Arian heresy and was converted to Orthodoxy. His father, Leovigild, was King of the Goths, and an Arian. Neither by flattery nor by threats was he able to sway his son to return to his former faith. Therefore,…

Martyrs Cæsarius, Dacius, Savva, Sabinian, Agrippa, Adrian, and Thomas, at Damascus

Saints Caesarius, Adrian, Dacius, Savva, Sabinian, Agrippa, and Thomas suffered martyrdom at Damascus in the seventh century.

Monastic Martyrs James and his two disciples, James the Deacon, and Dionysios the Monk

Saint James was tonsured at Docheiariou monastery on Mount Athos. Moving to the neglected Georgian Skete of Saint John the Baptist, he restored it under the supervision of Elder Ignatius. Fulfilling various obediences in the monastery, Saint James ascended to the heights of purity. He was granted…

Virgin Martyr Helen of Sinope

Saint Helen lived during the XVIII century at Sinope (Σινώπη), Pontus (in Asia Minor). She was a member of the pious Bekiaris family, and her parents raised her in the fear of God. She was especially influenced in her upbringing by her uncle, her father's brother, who taught at that time in…