Lives of the Saints

Martyr Aquilina of Byblos in Syria

Martyr Aquilina of Byblos in Syria

The Holy Martyr Aquilina, a native of the Phoenician city of Byblos, suffered under the emperor Diocletian (284-305). Her parents raised her in Christian piety. When the girl was only twelve years old, she persuaded a pagan friend to convert to Christ. One of the servants of the imperial governor…

Saint Triphyllius, Bishop of Leucosia (Nicosia), Cyprus

Saint Triphyllius, Bishop of Leucosia (Nicosia), Cyprus

Saint Tryphillius, Bishop of Leukosia, was born in Constantinople, and he received his education at Berit (Beirut, in Lebanon). He was very intelligent and eloquent. In spite of this, the saint chose as his guide a man neither bookish nor learned, but one of conspicuous holiness: Saint Spyridon of…

Venerable Andronikos, Disciple of Saint Sergius

Venerable Andronikos, Disciple of Saint Sergius

Saint Andronikos (Andrónikos), a native of Rostov, began his spiritual life under the guidance of the great luminary Saint Sergius of Radonezh. He was a lover of the spiritual life, so Metropolitan Alexei chose Andronikos to be the Igoumen of the new Monastery of the All-Merciful Savior, which he…

Venerable Savva, Abbot of Moscow

Venerable Savva, Abbot of Moscow

Saint Savva of Moscow succeeded Saint Andronicus as the igumen of the monastery of the Savior, dedicated to the Icon of Christ Not-Made-By Hands (August 16) in 1395. He died in 1410.

Martyr Antonina of Nicea

Martyr Antonina of Nicea

The Holy Martyr Antonina suffered during the third century under Diocletian (284-305) in the city of Nicea. They tortured her in various ways: they burned her with fire, they put her on a red-hot plate, they bored into her hands and feet with red-hot rods and they threw her in prison, where she…

Saint Anna and her son, Saint John, of Constantinople

Saint Anna and her son, Saint John, of Constantinople

Saint Anna and her son Saint John lived in the ninth century. Saint Anna was the daughter of a deacon of the Blachernae church in Constantinople. After the death of her husband, she dressed in men’s clothing and called herself Euthymianus. She and her son Saint John lived in asceticism in one…

Venerable James, who was deceived and worshiped the Antichrist

Saint James had so much love for Christ, and so little regard for the things of this world, that he sold all of all his possessions, and distributed the money to the poor, keeping none for himself. Unfortunately, he was overcome with pride. He said to himself, “Who knows better than I do,…

Saint Antipater, Bishop of Bostra, Arabia

Saint Antipater, Bishop of Bostra, Arabia

Saint Antipater’s life is not to be found in the Synaxaristes. From other sources, we know that he was the Bishop of Bostra in Arabia, and he lived in the second half of the fifth century. He was esteemed highly by his contemporaries. His best known work was a book refuting the doctrines of…

Saint Anthimus, Bishop of Georgia

Saint Anthimus, Bishop of Georgia

Saint Anthimus of Iberia was one of the most highly educated people of his time. He was fluent in many languages, including Greek, Romanian, Old Slavonic, Arabic, and Turkish and well-versed in theology, literature, and the natural sciences. He was unusually gifted in the fine arts—in…

The Finding of the Holy Relics of Saint Nicholas the Deacon of Lesbos

The Finding of the Holy Relics of Saint Nicholas the Deacon of Lesbos

Today we commemorate the finding of the relics of Saint Nicholas the Deacon at Karyes Monastery on Lesbos on June 13, 1960. In April of 1960 he appeared to three women in the town of Thermi, telling them where his relics were to be found. They hesitated to ask the Metropolitan of Mytilene for…