Lives of the Saints

Commemoration of the Founding of Constantinople

Commemoration of the Founding of Constantinople

In 324 the holy Emperor Constantine (May 21) decided that the imperial capital had to be closer to the Eastern provinces, and yet have direct communication with the West. The city of Byzantium fulfilled these requirements, and on November 8, 324 the site of the new capital was consecrated.…

Hieromartyr Mocius the Presbyter of Amphipolis in Macedonia

Hieromartyr Mocius the Presbyter of Amphipolis in Macedonia

Saint Mocius was a presbyter in Macedonia in the city of Amphipolis. During a persecution against Christians under the emperor Diocletian (284-305), Saint Mocius exhorted the pagans who had assembled for the pagan festival of Dionysus (Bacchus), to abandon iniquity and the vile customs which…

Equals of the Apostles and Teachers of the Slavs, Cyril and Methodius

Equals of the Apostles and Teachers of the Slavs, Cyril and Methodius

Saints Cyril and Methodius, Equals of the Apostles, and Enlighteners of the Slavs came from an illustrious and pious family living in the Greek city of Thessalonica. Saint Methodius was the oldest of seven brothers, Saint Constantine [Cyril was his monastic name] was the youngest. At first Saint…

Venerable Sophronius the Recluse of the Kiev Far Caves

The Relics of Saint Sophronius were buried in the Far Caves of the Kiev Caves monastery. In the Canon to the monks of the Far Caves the saint’s solitary ascetical struggles are mentioned. He was deemed worthy to hear angels singing. The memory of Saint Sophronius is also celebrated on March…

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…

Saint Nikodemos, Archbishop of Serbia

Saint Nikodemos (Νikόdēmos) was the Igoumen of Hilandar Monastery on Mount Athos and was consecrated as the Archbishop of Serbia in 1316. He is especially known for translating the Jerusalem Typikon of Saint Savva the Sanctified into Slavonic in 1319, and ordered it to be used in Serbia. Saint…

Saint Rostislav, Prince of Great Moravia

Saint Rostislav, Prince of Great Moravia

Saint Rostislav (Rastislav) the Prince of Great Moravia, and Equal of the Apostles, became Prince in 846, following the death of his uncle Mojmir I. At that time, missionaries from Greece, the Balkans, and Germany were already preaching in the territory of Great Moravia. Prince Rostislav was among…

Blessed Christopher, called Christesia

Blessed Christopher, called Christesia

Blessed Christesia’s family was from Egrisi in western Georgia. From his youth Christesia longed for the divine services and the solitary life, but he was forced by his master to marry, and by this marriage he begot a son. Later, when both his wife and son had died, his master insisted that…

Holy Monastic Martyrs Olympia and Euphrosynē

Saint Olympia (Ολυμπία) was born to devout parents who were from Constantinople. Her father was a priest, and her mother was the daughter of a priest. They fled Constantinople for some unknown reason and went to the Peloponnesos. At the age of ten, Saint Olympia lost her parents, and her…