The Holy Martyrs Onesiphorus and Porphyrius of Ephesus suffered during the persecution against Christians by the emperor Diocletian (284-305). They beat them and burned them. After this, they tied the saints to wild horses, which dragged them over the stones, after which the Martyrs Onesiphorus and…
Saint Matrona, Abbess of Constantinople was born in the city of Perge Pamphylia (Asia Minor) in the fifth century. They gave her in marriage to a wealthy man named Dometian. When her daughter Theodota was born, they resettled in Constantinople. The twenty-five-year-old Matrona loved to walk to the…
Saint Theoktίstē was born in the city of Methymna on the island of Lesbos. She was orphaned at an early age, so her relatives sent her to a monastery to be raised by the nuns. The girl was quite happy to forsake this sinful world. She loved the monastic life, the long Church Services, monastic…
Saint Onesiphorus the Confessor of the Kiev Caves, Near Caves pursued the ascetic life in the Kiev Caves monastery. He was a presbyter and had the gift of clairvoyance. He died in the year 1148 and was buried in the Near Caves beside Saint Spyridon (October 31). His memory is also celebrated on…
The Martyr Alexander of Thessalonica was arrested by pagans for confessing the Christian Faith. Under the emperor Maximian (284-305)he not only admitted being a Christian, but when told to offer sacrifice to the gods, he overturned the idolatrous sacrifice in indignation. The emperor gave orders to…
The Holy Martyr Anthony, a Syrian, lived during the fifth century and was a stone-mason. With the blessing of the bishop of the Syrian city of Apamea, he started to build a church dedicated to the Holy Trinity. When the pagan townspeople learned of this, they rushed into his house by night and…
Saint John the Dwarf of Egypt struggled in the Egyptian desert in the fifth century in the monastery of Saint Pimen the Great (August 27). It was to this monastery that the young John came with his brother Daniel. Once, Saint John told his elder brother that he did not want to be concerned about…
Saint Eustolia, a native of Rome, had come to Constantinople and entered one of the women’s monasteries. The virtuous and strict monastic life of the saint gained her the love and respect of the sisters. Not only monastics, but also many laypeople came to her for advice and consolation.…
Saint Sopatra of Constantinople was the daughter of the emperor Mauricius (582-602). She was inclined towards monasticism, and met Saint Eustolia in the church of the Most Holy Theotokos at Blachernae. After speaking with the saint, Sopatra finally decided to leave the world and submit her will to…
Saint Nectarius, the great wonderworker of modern times, was born Anastasius Kephalas in Selebria, Thrace on October 1, 1846. Since his family was poor, Anastasius went to Constantinople when he was fourteen in order to find work. Although he had no money, he asked the captain of a boat to take…
Saints Euthymius and Neophytus, founders of the Dochiariou Monastery on Mount Athos, an uncle and his nephew, belonged to the highest Byzantine aristocracy. Saint Euthymius, while still in the world, was the friend of Saint Athanasius of Mount Athos (July 5), and he later became a novice and…
The wonderworking "Quick to Hear" Icon of the Mother of God is kept at Dokheiarίou Monastery on Mount Athos, and is believed to date from the XI century, during the time of Saint Neophytos, the Igoumen of the Monastery. After the wonderworking Portaitissa Icon, the most famous Icon on Mount Athos…