lives of the saints

St. Eutychius the Bishop of Melitene; St. Nicetas the Bishop of Chalcedon

Orthodox Calendar, May 28 St. Eutychius, Bishop of Melitene The Hieromartyr Eutychius, Bishop of Melitene, was a co-worker with the Holy Apostles, and he suffered for Christ in the city of Melitene during the first century. Troparion — Tone 4 By sharing in the ways of the Apostles, / you became a successor to their…

May 28, 2026basilica.ro

St. Blandina of Iași; Venerable Simeon of the Wonderful Mountain; 7th Sunday after Easter (of the Holy Fathers of the First Ecumenical Council)

Orthodox Calendar, May 24 Saint Blandina the Confessor of Iași The Servant of God, Blandina Gobjilă, was born on February 24, 1906, in the village of Grușenți-Chelmești in Bessarabia, to devout parents, the priest Zaharia and Serafima, who from her infancy planted in her heart humility and love for the holy services. Therefore, with great…

May 24, 2026basilica.ro

Martyrs Peter, Dionysius and Paul

Orthodox Calendar, May 18 Holy Martyrs Peter, Dionysius, Andrew, Paul, Christina They suffered under emperor Decius (249-251). Saint Peter suffered in the city of Lampsaka. Brought to trial before the prefect Optimines, he bravely confessed his faith in Christ. They tried to force the youth to deny the Lord and worship the goddess Venus. The…

May 18, 2026basilica.ro

Apostle Andronicus and his wife Junia; Venerable Nectarios and Theophan; 6th Sunday after Pascha (of the Blind Man)

Orthodox Calendar, May 17 Saint Andronicus and his wife Junia Apostle of the Seventy and Saint Junia were relatives of the holy Apostle Paul. They labored much, preaching the Gospel to pagans. Saint Paul mentions them in his Epistle to the Romans: “Salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen and fellow prisoners, who are of note…

May 17, 2026basilica.ro

Venerable Theodore the Sanctified; Ven. Silas, Paisios and Nathan from Sihăstria Putnei

Orthodox Calendar, May 16 Venerable Theodore the Sanctified Saint Theodore was called “Sanctified” because he was the first in his monastery ordained to the priesthood. Saint Theodore came from Egypt and was the son of rich and illustrious Christian parents. The yearning for monastic life appeared early in him. Once there was a large party…

May 16, 2026basilica.ro

St. Jacob of Putna, Metropolitan of Moldavia; Venerable Pachomius the Great (Fish allowed)

Orthodox Calendar May 15 Holy Hierarch Jacob of Putna, Metropolitan of Moldavia The future Metropolitan of Moldavia was born on 20 January 1719 in a family of believers from Bukovina. Growing up in the spirit of true godliness, he entered the monastic life when he was only 12 years old. His spiritual formation is linked…

May 15, 2026basilica.ro

Martyr John the Wallachian; St. Epiphanius the Bishop of Cyprus; St. Germanus the Patriarch of Constantinople

Orthodox Calendar, May 12 Saint John the Wallachian He was born into a poor family in Oltenia during the time of Prince Matthew Basarab. In 1659, when he was fifteen years old, a band of Turks was attacking the Olt Valley from Ardeal and seizing many young people as slaves, including Saint John. The Turks…

May 12, 2026basilica.ro

Prophet Jeremiah; Martyrs Ignatius, Acacius and Euthymius, Right-believing Tamara, Blessed Isidora (Fish permitted)

Orthodox Calendar, May 1 Prophet Jeremiah One of the four great Old Testament prophets, he was son of the priest Helkiah from the city of Anathoth near Jerusalem, and he lived 600 years before the Birth of Christ, under the Israelite king Josiah and four of his successors. He was called to prophetic service at…

May 1, 2026basilica.ro

Apostle and Evangelist Mark; †) Venerable Basil of Poiana Mărului

Orthodox Calendar April 25 Apostle and Evangelist Mark The Holy Apostle and Evangelist Mark, also known as John Mark (Acts 12:12), was one of the Seventy Apostles, and was also a nephew of Saint Barnabas (June 11). He was born at Jerusalem. The house of his mother Mary adjoined the Garden of Gethsemane. As Church…

Apr 25, 2026basilica.ro

St. Theodore the Sykeote the Bishop of Anastasiopolis (Fish permitted)

Orthodox Calendar April 22 Saint Theodore the Sykeote was born in the mid-sixth century in the village of Sykeon, not far from the city of Anastasiopolis (in Galatia, Asia Minor), into a pious family. When his mother Maria conceived the saint, she had a vision of a bright star overshadowing her womb. A clairvoyant Elder,…

Apr 22, 2026basilica.ro

Great and Holy Saturday; Saint Callinicus from Cernica, bishop of Râmnic (His feast day will be celebrated on Monday, the second day of Easter); Hieromartyr Antipas, bishop of Pergamum

Orthodox Calendar, April 11 Great and Holy Saturday On Great and Holy Saturday the Church contemplates the mystery of the Lord’s descent into Hades, the place of the dead. Death, our ultimate enemy, is defeated from within. “He (Christ) gave Himself as a ransom to death in which we were held captive, sold under sin.…

Apr 11, 2026basilica.ro