Feasts and saints with names like “joseph”

Saint Joseph Analytinus of Raithu

Saint Joseph Analytinus of Raithu was a strict ascetic. He attained such a high degree of perfection in the spiritual life that a light shone upon him while he prayed. He foretold the time of his death to his disciple Gelasius, and died in peace, before the slaughter of the Sinai Fathers.

Saint Joseph, Bishop of Thessalonica, and brother of Saint Theodore of Studion

Saint Joseph, Bishop of Thessalonica, and brother of Saint Theodore of Studion

Saint Joseph, Archbishop of Thessalonica, was brother of Saint Theodore the Studite (November 11), and together they pursued a life of asceticism under the guidance of Saint Platon (April 5) in the monastery at Sakkudion, Bithynia. Because of his ascetic life, Saint Joseph was unanimously chosen…

Saint Joseph of Dionysiou

Saint Joseph was a monk of Dionysiou Monastery on Mt. Athos, where he shone forth with the virtues of monastic life. He was an iconographer, and he painted the icon of the holy Archangels on the iconostasis of Dionysiou’s main church. In obedience to the instructions of Igumen Stephen, Saint…

Righteous Joseph the Patriarch

Righteous Joseph the Patriarch

The Righteous Joseph the Fair was the son of the Old Testament Patriarch Jacob and his wife Rachel (Genesis 37:3). He had eleven brothers: Jacob's first wife Leah (the daughter of Laban) gave birth to six sons: 1) Reuben, 2) Simeon, 3) Levi, 4) Judah. Then Leah thought she could not have any more…

Venerable Joseph the Hymnographer

Venerable Joseph the Hymnographer

Saint Joseph the Hymnographer, “the sweet-voiced nightingale of the Church,” was born in Sicily around the turn of the 9th century into a pious Christian family. His parents, Plotinos and Agatha, moved to the Peloponnesos to save themselves from barbarian invasions. When he was fifteen,…

Venerable Joseph the Much-Ailing, of the Kiev Far Caves

Venerable Joseph the Much-Ailing, of the Kiev Far Caves

Saint Joseph the Much-Ailing lived during the fourteenth century. In his grievous illness he turned to God with prayer and vowed that if the Lord granted him health, he would then serve the brethren of the Kiev Caves monastery until the end of his days. After his return to health, he entered the…

Saint Joseph the Confessor of Maramures

Saint Joseph the Confessor of Maramures

Saint Joseph was born in the seventeenth century, and was consecrated as a bishop in Moldavia (northern Romania) in 1690 by Metropolitan Dositheus. This was a period of great trials and sufferings for the people of Maramures (in northern Romania) because the Roman Catholic authorities wanted to…

Venerable Joseph of Optina

Saint Joseph of Optina was born on November 2, 1837 in the village of Gorodishcha in the province of Kharkov. His name in the world was John Litovkin, and his parents Euthymius and Maria were simple but pious people. They were generous to the poor, and often lent money to those in need even when…

Saint Joseph, Metropolitan of Astrakhan

The Hieromartyr Joseph, First Metropolitan of Astrakhan, was born at Astrakhan in 1579. After becoming a monk, Saint Joseph was made Archimandrite of the Astrakhan Trinity monastery at the age of fifty-two. In 1656 he was at Moscow, after which he was chosen to be Metropolitan of Astrakhan. On May…

Righteous Joseph of Arimathea

Righteous Joseph of Arimathea

Righteous Joseph of Arimathea was a secret disciple of our Lord Jesus Christ. As a member of the Sanhedrin he did not participate in the “counsel and deed” of the Jews in passing a death sentence for Jesus Christ. After the Crucifixion and Death of the Savior he made bold to go to…

Deposition of the Holy Relics of Saint Joseph Samakos the Sanctified (1669)

Saint Joseph the Sanctified reposed on January 22, 1511 when he was about seventy years old, and was buried in his monastery. His holiness was recognized at the recovery of his relics, because they were found incorrupt and emitting a divine fragrance. They were deposited in the katholikon of the…

Venerable Joseph, Abbot of Volokolamsk, Volotsk

Venerable Joseph, Abbot of Volokolamsk, Volotsk

Saint Joseph of Volokolamsk, in the world John Sanin, was born on November 14, 1440 (1439 according to another source) in the village of Yazvisch-Pokrov, not far from the city of Volokolamsk. He was born into a pious family with his father named John (in monasticism Joannicius) and his mother…

Monastic Martyr Joseph of Dionysiou, Mount Athos

Saint Joseph was a monk of Dionysiou Monastery on Mt. Athos, where he shone forth with the virtues of monastic life. He was an iconographer, and he painted the icon of the holy Archangels on the iconostasis of Dionysiou’s main church. In obedience to the instructions of Igumen Stephen, Saint…

Venerable Joseph, Abbot of Alaverdi, Georgia

Venerable Joseph, Abbot of Alaverdi, Georgia

Blessed Abba Joseph of Alaverdi was a disciple and companion of Saint John of Zedazeni, who in the 6th century arrived in Georgia with twelve Syrian ascetics to spread the Christian Faith. With the blessing of his teacher, Fr. Joseph settled in the village of Alaverdi in eastern Georgia. According…

Saint Joseph the New of Partos, Metropolitan of Timishoara (Romania)

Saint Joseph the New of Partos, Metropolitan of Timishoara (Romania)

Saint Joseph the New was born in 1568 at Raguza in Dalmatia, and was given the name Jacob at his Baptism. When he was very young, his father died, and he was raised by his mother. At the age of twelve, he was sent to Ochrid to be schooled. The young Jacob was called to live the monastic life when…

New Martyrs Isaac and Joseph of Georgia

New Martyrs Isaac and Joseph of Georgia

The holy martyrs Isaac and Joseph the Georgians were born into a Muslim family, but their Georgian mother, a Christian, secretly raised them according to the Christian tradition. The brothers were so firmly dedicated to the Faith that they journeyed to Byzantium to request that Emperor…

Venerable Joseph of Zaonikiev Monastery, Vologda

Saint Joseph of Zaonikiev, was named Hilarion in the world, a pious peasant from the village of Obukhovo Kubensk in the region of the Vologda gubernia. For a long time he suffered a disease of the eyes and he fervently prayed for the help of the Lord, to the Most Holy Theotokos, and to the Saints,…

Venerable Joseph the Elder and Wonderworker of Khevi, Georgia

Venerable Joseph the Elder and Wonderworker of Khevi, Georgia

Little is known about the life of Saint Joseph of Khevi. The Church is certain only that he was a native of Khevi (in northern Georgia) and served as a priest in that village. In addition to being great warriors, the people of Khevi have throughout history been remarkably steadfast in the Christian…

Saint Joseph, Catholicos of Georgia

Saint Joseph, Catholicos of Georgia

Saint Joseph (Jandierishvili) received his spiritual education at David-Gareji Monastery. He was endowed by the Lord with the gift of wonderworking. His prayers healed the terminally ill and demon-possessed. For his wisdom and virtue, he was consecrated bishop of Rustavi, and in 1755 enthroned as…

Venerable Joseph the Wonderworker, Igumen of Volokolamsk

Venerable Joseph the Wonderworker, Igumen of Volokolamsk

Saint Joseph of Volokolamsk, in the world John Sanin, was born on November 14, 1440 (1439 according to another source) in the village of Yazvisch-Pokrov, not far from the city of Volokolamsk. He was born into a pious family with his father named John (in monasticism Joannicius) and his mother…

Monastic Martyr Joseph of Dionysiou, Mount Athos

Saint Joseph was a monk of Dionysiou Monastery on Mt. Athos, where he shone forth with the virtues of monastic life. He was an iconographer, and he painted the icon of the holy Archangels on the iconostasis of Dionysiou’s main church. In obedience to the instructions of Igumen Stephen, Saint…

Hieromartyrs Akepsimas, Bishop in Persia, Presbyter Joseph, and Deacon Aeithalas

Hieromartyrs Akepsimas, Bishop in Persia, Presbyter Joseph, and Deacon Aeithalas

Martyrs Akepsimas the Bishop, Joseph the Presbyter and Aeithalas (Aeithalás) the Deacon of Persia were leaders of the Christian Church in the Persian city of Naesson. His flock devotedly loved their hierarch for his ascetic life and tireless pastoral work. The emperor Sapor ordered his men to seek…

Hieromartyrs Nerses and Joseph and many other men and women who suffered with them in Persia

Saint Nerses the bishop suffered for Christ in Persia with his disciple Joseph; Bishops John, Saverius, Isaac and Hypatius; the Martyrs Azades the Eunuch, Savonius, Thekla, Anna and many other men and women. They were executed in 343 during a persecution against Christians under the emperor Sapor…

Saint Joseph of Bisericani Monastery (late XV century)

This Venerable Father was the first known hermit on Mount Bisericani, and the founder of a Monastery with the same name. He was born in a village in Neamț county and, being inclined toward the monastic life from a young age, he entered Bistrița Monastery. There he was trained in monasticism and…