Lives of the Saints

Venerable Gerasimus of the Jordan

Venerable Gerasimus of the Jordan

Saint Gerasimus was a native of Lycia (Asia Minor). From his early years he was distinguished for his piety. Having received monastic tonsure, he withdrew into the desert of the Thebaid (in Egypt). Thereafter, in about the year 450, the monk arrived in Palestine and settled at the Jordan, where he…

Venerable Gerasimus of Vologda

Venerable Gerasimus of Vologda

Saint Gerasimus, First Vologda Wonderworker, accepted monastic tonsure on March 4 (at that time it was customary to give a new monk the name of the saint commemorated on the day of his tonsure) at the Kiev Gniloe Dormition monastery, having been attracted to the Caves where Saint Theodosius (May 3)…

Venerable Joasaph of Snetogorsk, Pskov

The Holy Hieromartyrs Joasaph of Snetogorsk and Basil of Mirozh suffered under the Germans at two of the most ancient of the Pskov monasteries during the thirteenth century. Saint Basil directed the Savior-Transfiguration Mirozh monastery, founded in the year 1156 by Saint Niphon, Bishop of…

Right-believing Prince Basil (Vasilko) of Rostov

Holy Prince Basil of Rostov belonged in lineage to the Suzdal Monomashichi, famed in Russian history. The saint’s great-grandfather was Yuri Dolgoruky, and his grandfather was Great Prince Vsevolod III “Big-Nest” (+ 1212), brother to Saint Andrew Bogoliubsky (July 4), who had been…

Right-believing Prince Daniel of Moscow

Right-believing Prince Daniel of Moscow

Holy Prince Daniel of Moscow was born at Vladimir in the year 1261. He was the fourth son of Saint Alexander Nevsky (August 30 and November 23) and his second wife Bassa. When he was two years old he lost his father. The date of his mother’s repose is not indicated in the Chronicles; we know…

Martyrs Paul and his sister, Juliana

The Holy Martyr Paul and his sister Juliana were executed under the emperor Aurelian (270-275) in the Phoenician city of Ptolemais. The emperor happened to visit Ptolemais, and among those who met him was Paul, who made the Sign of the Cross. They arrested him and threw him in prison. On the…

Saint James the Faster of Phoenicia, Syria

Saint James the Faster lived a life of asceticism near the Phoenician city of Porphyrion in the sixth century. For fifteen years, he lived in a cave devoting himself to monastic deeds, and he received the gift of wonderworking from the Lord. Under his influence many of the local inhabitants were…

Right-believing Prince Wenceslas of the Czech Lands

Right-believing Prince Wenceslas of the Czech Lands

The Translation of the Relics of the Right-Believing Prince Saint Wenceslas (Vyacheslav) of the Czech Lands. On September 28, 935, when Saint Wenceslas went to Matins, he was wickedly murdered at the doors of the church by his own brother and his brother’s servants. His body was stabbed and…

Saint Gregory, Bishop of Constantia, Cyprus

Saint Gregory is mentioned in the Patmos Codex 266 as follows: “The Holy Fathers Gregory of Constantia, Cyprus and Adrian.” Perhaps Saint Adrian was also a Bishop on Cyprus.