A spiritual mission was organized in 1793, made up of monks of the Valaam Monastery. They were sent to preach the Word of God to the native inhabitants of northwestern America, who only ten years before had come under the sovereignty of Russia. Saint Herman was among the members of this Mission.…
Saint Nicholas, the Wonderworker, Archbishop of Myra in Lycia is famed as a great saint pleasing unto God. He was born in the city of Patara in the region of Lycia (on the south coast of the Asia Minor peninsula), and was the only son of pious parents Theophanes and Nonna, who had vowed to dedicate…
A spiritual mission was organized in 1793 with volunteers from the monks of the Valaam Monastery. They were sent to preach the Word of God to the native inhabitants of northwestern America, who had come under the sovereignty of Russia only ten years before. Saint Herman was one of the members of…
Saint Seraphim of Sarov, a great ascetic of the Russian Church, was born on July 19, 1754. His parents, Isidore and Agathia Moshnin, were inhabitants of Kursk. Isidore was a merchant. Toward the end of his life, he began construction of a cathedral in Kursk, but he died before the completion of the…
The Holy Great Martyr George the Victory-Bearer, was a native of Cappadocia (a district in Asia Minor), and he grew up in a deeply believing Christian family. His father was martyred for Christ when George was still a child. His mother, owning lands in Palestine, moved there with her son and raised…
Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk, Bishop of Voronezh (in the world Timothy), was born in the year 1724 in the village of Korotsk in the Novgorod diocese, into the family of the cantor Sabellius Kirillov. (Afterward, a new family name, Sokolov, was given him by the head of the Novgorod Seminary). His father…
Saint Sergius of Radonezh was born in the village of Varnitsa, near Rostov, on May 3, 1314. His parents were the pious and illustrious nobles Cyril and Maria (September 28). The Lord chose him while still in his mother’s womb. In the Life of Saint Sergius it is reported that even before the…
Saint Job, Abbot and Wonderworker of Pochaev (in the world named Ivan Zhelezo), was born around 1551 in Pokutia in Galicia. At age ten he came to the Transfiguration Ugornits monastery, and at age twelve he received monastic tonsure with the name Job. The venerable Job from his youth was known for…
Saint Gregory was tonsured at the Kiev Caves monastery in the time of Saint Theodosius (May 3). The saint devoted much time to reading books, which were his sole possession. He had the ability to bring thieves to their senses. Several times robbers broke in on him in his cell or in the garden, but…
Saint Eustratius came from the city of Tarsus. At twenty years of age he secretly left his parents’ home and settled in the Abgar monastery (on Olympos in Asia Minor). There he lived a strict ascetic life, eating only bread and water, and spending his nights at prayer. After a certain while…
Saint Macarius of Zhabyn, Wonderworker of Belev, was born in the year 1539. In his early years he was tonsured with the name Onuphrius, and in the year 1585 he founded Zhabyn’s Monastery of the Entry of the Most Holy Theotokos into the Temple near the River Oka, not far from the city of…
Saint Ephraim of Novy Torg, founder of the Saints Boris and Gleb monastery in the city of Novy Torg, was a native of Hungary. Together with his brothers, Saint Moses the Hungarian (July 26) and Saint George (in Hungarian “Sandor,” pronounced “Shandor”), he quit his native…
Saint Ignatius, Bishop of Smolensk and Wonderworker (+ ca. 1210): By some accounts, Saint Ignatius was the first bishop of Smolensk. He was a friend of Saint Abraham (August 21), whom he ordained to the priesthood. Bishop Ignatius was a kindly and pious Elder, heading the trial instigated by Saint…
Saint Cyrus was a noted physician in the city of Alexandria, where he had been born and raised. He was a Christian and he treated the sick without charge, not only curing their bodily afflictions, but also healing their spiritual infirmities. He would say, “Whoever wishes to avoid being ill…
Saint Cyril of New Lake was born into a pious family. The Lord marked him as one of the chosen even before he was born. Cyril’s mother was praying in church during the Divine Liturgy, and the infant in her womb cried out, “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord of Sabaoth!” From the time of his…
Saint Demetrios (Dēmḗtrios) of Priluki, Wonderworker, was born into a rich merchant’s family in Pereyaslavl-Zalessk. From his youth the saint was uncommonly handsome. Receiving monastic tonsure at one of the Pereyaslavl monasteries, the saint later founded the Saint Nicholas cenobitic…
Holy Prince Vsevolod of Pskov, in Baptism Gabriel, a grandson of Vladimir Monomakh, was born at Novgorod, where in the years 1088-1093 and 1095-1117 his father ruled as prince. His father was the holy prince Saint Mstislav-Theodore the Great (April 15). In the year 1117, when Great Prince Vladimir…
Saint Alexei, Metropolitan of Moscow and All Russia the Wonderworker (in the world Eleutherios), was born in the year 1292 (or according to another source, 1304) at Moscow into the family of the noble Theodore Byakont, a descendant of the Chernigov princely line. The Lord revealed to the future…
The Hieromartyr Hermogenes, Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus, was born in Kazan around 1530, and was descended from the Don Cossacks. According to the Patriarch’s own testimony, he served as priest in Kazan in a church dedicated to Saint Nicholas (December 6 and May 9), near the Kazan bazaar.…
Saint Agapitos came from Cappadocia and was the son of pious and God-loving parents. He lived during the time of the emperors Diocletian (284-305) and Maximian (285-305). At a young age he departed for a monastery near Synnada in Phrygia, where he became a monk. He was loved by the Igumen because…
Saint Agathon of the Kiev Caves was a great ascetic, and he healed the sick by a laying his hands upon them. He also possessed the gift of prophecy and foretold the time of his own death. His memory is celebrated also at the Synaxis of the Monks of the Far Caves on August 28.
The Holy Elder Porphyrios (in the world Evangelos Baϊraktaris) was born on February 7, 1906 at Euboia,1 in the village of Agios Ioannis in the province of Karystia. His parents were devout, God-loving people. His father was Leonidas Baϊraktaris, and his mother Eleni was the daughter of Antonios…
Our Venerable Father Christódoulos 1) was born near Nicaea of Bithynia circa 1020. His parents' names were Theodore and Anna, and their son received the name John in Holy Baptism. He was renowned as an ascetic and a physician throughout the Byzantine Empire. In 1043 he was tonsured on Mount…
Saint Macarius of Kalyazin (in the world Matthew) was born in 1400 in the village of Gribkovo (Kozhino), near the city of Kashin, into the family of the boyar Basil Kozha. From youth he yearned for monasticism, but he married at the insistence of his parents. After a year his parents died, and…
Saint Cuthbert, the wonderworker of Britain, was born in Northumbria around 634. Very little information has come down to us about Cuthbert’s early life, but there is a remarkable story of him when he was eight. As a child, Cuthbert enjoyed games and playing with other children. He could beat…
Saint Stephen the Confessor, Igumen of Triglia Monastery, suffered under the iconoclast emperor Leo the Armenian (813-820). From a young age, the holy ascetic dedicated his life to God and received monastic tonsure. He later became head of the Triglia monastery near Constantinople. When…
Hieromartyr Hypatius, Bishop of Gangra, was bishop of the city of Gangra in Paphlagonia (Asia Minor). In the year 325 he participated in the First Ecumenical Council at Nicea, at which the heresy of Arius was anathematized. When Saint Hypatius was returning in 326 from Constantinople to Gangra,…
From his youth Saint Titus the Wonderworker displayed zeal for the monastic life. He labored in asceticism in the IX century at the Studion Monastery near Constantinople. By his fasting, and meek disposition, Saint Titus gained the love of the brethren, and at their request he was ordained as a…
Saint Elizabeth the Wonderworker was from Constantinople, and was chosen for the service of God at birth. It was revealed to her mother that the girl would become a chosen vessel of the Lord (Acts 9:15). The parents sent their daughter to a monastery as a child. She grew up in an atmosphere of…
Saint Memnon the Wonderworker from his youth lived in the Egyptian desert. By his arduous ascetical efforts, he attained a victory of spirit over the flesh. As Igumen of one of the Egyptian monasteries, he wisely and carefully guided the brethren. Even while aiding them through prayer and counsel,…
Saint Peter the Wonderworker, Bishop of Argos in the Peloponnesos, lived during the ninth and early tenth centuries, and was raised by pious parents. Saint Peter’s parents, and later his brothers Paul, Dionysius, Platon and Saint Peter himself, all became monks. Saint Peter zealously devoted…
There is much disagreement about Saint Ekouménios (Οικουμένιος), concerning his identity and exactly when he lived. According to prevailing opinion, Saint Ekouménios lived in the late X century (ca. 995). He studied all the Fathers of the Church and became an excellent interpreter of…
The Transfer of the Relics of Saint Nicholas to Bari in Italy. His Life is found under December 6. In the eleventh century the Byzantine Empire was going through some terrible times. The Turks put an end to its influence in Asia Minor, they destroyed cities and villages, they murdered the…
Saint Isidore Tverdislov (“Constant of Word”), Fool-for-Christ, Wonderworker of Rostov. He was born in Germany of rich parents. From his youth, he led “an unsullied life and had a compassionate understanding.” Leaving his parental home and “desiring the Kingdom of…
Saint Isaiah was born near Kiev to pious parents who raised him in the Orthodox Faith. In his youth, he forsook worldly vanity and entered the Kiev Caves Monastery, where he was tonsured by Saint Theodosios († May 3, 1074). Aflame with love for the Savior, the young monk engaged in the difficult…
Very little information about the life and podvig1 of Saint Isaiah the Wonderworker has been preserved. He contested during the XI – early XII centuries. His life, by which he pleased the Lord, was one of silence and tireless work, for which he is called "a venerable and industrious Elder." In…
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The Uncovering of the Relics of Saint Alexis, Metropolitan of Moscow and All Rus. Before his blessed repose in 1378 Saint Alexis, Metropolitan of Moscow, left instructions to place his body in the Chudov (Miracle of the Archangel Michael) monastery in the Kremlin. He designated a burial place…
The Holy Princes Constantine and his sons Michael and Theodore of Murom lived during the eleventh-twelfth centuries. Prince Constantine, a descendant of Saint Vladimir, asked his father, Prince Svyatoslav of Chernigov, to give him the city of Murom, which was inhabited by pagans, so he might…
Many ancient Russian cities have their own patron Saint, whose name is associated with miraculous healings and the protection of their city from enemies. The patron Saint of Borovichi in the Novgorod region is the Righteous James, a Wonderworker and a Fool for Christ. Saint James is the patron…
Saint Niketas (Nikḗtas) the Stylite of Pereyaslavl was a native of the city of Pereyaslavl-Zalessky, and he was in charge of collecting taxes. In 1152, Prince Yuri Dolgorukiy founded the city of Pereyaslavl and built a stone church dedicated to the All-Merciful Savior in that new place. Because…
Saint Ignatius was Bishop of Rostov, and shepherded his flock for twenty-six years. After his death on May 28, 1288, his body was brought to the church. Some people saw him leave his coffin, and float in the air above the church. He blessed the people and the city, then went back to his coffin.…
The Holy right-believing Princess Anna of Kashin (Euphrosynē in monasticism) reposed on October 2, 1368. On July 21, 1649, Archbishop Jonah of Kazan and some of the local clergy opened Saint Anna's tomb, and noticed that her relics were incorrupt. Several miracles of healing occurred at that…
Saint Theodore the Wonderworker lived during the sixth century. In his youth he forsook the world in order to become a monk, withdrawing into the Jordanian wilderness. He lived a life of asceticism, and so he received from God the gift of wonderworking. Once, while he was journeying to…
Saint Bessarion, Wonderworker of Egypt was an Egyptian. He was baptized while still in his youth, and he led a strict life, striving to preserve the grace given him during Baptism. Seeking to become more closely acquainted with the monastic life, he journeyed to the holy places. He was in…
In 1677 Patriarch Joachim proposed to the Moscow Council that the veneration of Saint Anna of Kashin (October 2) throughout Russia should be discontinued because of the Old Believers Schism, which made use of the name of Saint Anna of Kashin for its own purposes. When she was buried her hand had…
Miraculously, the Velikorets Icon of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker was found in the land of Vyatka in the XVI century. According to legend, a certain believer, who had left home on business, saw many burning candles near the Great River. Bewildered, he stopped, but then drove on. On his return…
Holy Prince Peter (David in monasticism) and Holy Princess Febronia (Euphrosyne - Euphrosynē - in monasticism), Wonderworkers of Murom. Prince Peter was the second son of the Murom prince Yuri Vladimirovich. He entered upon the throne of Murom in the year 1203. Several years before this Saint…
Saints Sergius and Herman settled on the island of Valaam in 1329. The brethren gathered by them spread the light of Orthodoxy in this frontier land. The Karelian people began to regard Christianity with renewed suspicion, with its authority in the fourteenth century being undermined by the Swedes,…
On July 29, the Russian Orthodox Church celebrates the Nativity of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker, the Bishop of Myra in Lycia, who is one of the most revered saints in Russia. In addition to the two main holidays dedicated to Saint Nicholas, celebrated on December 6 (the saint's blessed repose)…
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Saint Longinus, the wonderworker of Yarenga, is also commemorated on October 16.
The Holy Confessor Quintus was from Phrygia, a Roman province of Asia Minor, during the reign of Aurelian (270-275). From his youth he was raised in Christian faith and piety. After his arrival at the village of Aiolida,1 he gave alms to the poor. and by his prayers he healed those who were…
The incorrupt relics of Saint Procopius were uncovered during the eighteenth century near the Entry of the Theotokos parish church in Ustya (Vologda diocese) and placed in the church, where for two hundred years they remained in open view, a source of numerous healings. No account of the origin and…
It is not known just when Saint Photeini [Photeinḗ - known on Cyprus as Saint Photou (Phótou) the wonderworker] lived, nor is there any information about her early life. Tradition tells us that she was born in Rizokarpaso to simple, but pious parents. From a young age, Photou stood out from her…
Saint Moses lived in the Kiev Caves Monastery during the XIII-XIV centuries, and was completely dedicated to God. He wore chains and a heavy copper cross. His continuous and favorite ascetical struggle was psalmody and making innumerable prostrations. Therefore, he received the gift of working…
The Holy Martyr Potamia the Wonderworker died under the sword. Sometimes the saint is incorrectly listed as Saint Potamius the Wonderworker.
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Saint Myron, Bishop of Crete, a wonderworker, in his youth was a family man, and worked as a farmer. He was known for his goodness, and he assisted everyone who turned to him for help. Once, thieves burst in upon his threshing floor, and Saint Myron himself helped them lift a sack of grain upon…
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Saint Abramius of Smolensk, a preacher of repentance and the Dread Last Judgment, was born in the mid-twelfth century at Smolensk of rich parents, who had twelve daughters before him, and they begged God for a son. From childhood he grew up in the fear of God, he was often in church and had the…
Saint Ephraim was the disciple of Saint Abramius of Smolensk. He compiled the Life of Saint Abramius, which provides many details about education in the remote northwestern part of Russia in those days.
Saint Serapion was abbot of the Monastery of Saint John the Baptist in the Davit-Gareji Wilderness. He was endowed by God with the ability to work miracles. Once Saint Serapion set off for the city, following at a short distance behind several of the monastery’s brothers. While they were…
Saint Simeon was raised at Davit-Gareji Monastery. He labored as a simple monk until he reached an advanced age, and was chosen to be abbot. Outstanding in virtue and humility, Saint Simeon was endowed by the Lord with the ability to work miracles. Once Saint Simeon became deathly ill and lay…
Saint John, Archbishop of Novgorod, was born at Novgorod of the pious parents Nicholas and Christina. He passed his childhood in quiet and peaceful surroundings. After the death of their parents, John and his brother Gabriel decided to establish a small monastery in honor of the Annunciation of…
Saints Sergius and Herman settled on the island of Valaam in 1329. The brethren gathered by them spread the light of Orthodoxy in this frontier land. The Karelian people had begun to regard Christianity with renewed suspicion, with its authority in the fourteenth century being undermined by the…
Saint Arkadios was born in Arsinoe, Cyprus and lived in the late third century until the early fourth century. He was the son of pious and wealthy parents, Michael and Anna. Saint Arkadios went to be educated in Constantinople, and then he returned home to Arsinoe. He became known for his ascetic…
The Holy Right-believing Prince Michael of Chernigov, the son of Vsevolod Olgovich Chermny (+ 1212), was born in 1179 (or 1195). From his childhood Prince Michael was known for his piety and meekness. His health was very poor, but in 1186, trusting in God's mercy, he asked for the holy prayers of…
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Saint Nίkander (Νίκανδρος) of Pskov was born on July 24, 1507 into a peasant family in the village of Videlebo in the land of Pskov. His parents were called Philip and Anastasia, and in Holy Baptism, he was named Nikon. From childhood he dreamed of continuing the ascetical contests of…
Saint Ephraim of Perekop, Novgorod, was born on September 20, 1412 in the city of Kashin. In Holy Baptism he was named Eustathius. His parents, Stephen and Anna, lived not far from the Kashin women’s monastery named in honor of the Dormition of the Most Holy Theotokos. Drawn to the solitary…
Saint Sabbatius of Solovki came to the Saint Cyril of White Lake monastery in the year 1396, where he received the monastic tonsure. He there pursued asceticism for a long time, unquestioningly fulfilling all obediences. His humility, gentle love towards the brethren and his strict life…
Saint Gregory of Pelsheme, Vologda, was born in the city of Galich, Kostroma governia. He came from the line of the Lopotov nobility. When the youth reached age fifteen, his parents wanted him to marry, but they died, without seeing this come to pass. Young Gregory distributed the inheritance left…
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 Nicholas Sviatosha, Prince of Chernigov, and Wonderworker of the Kiev Caves, Near Caves, was a great-grandson of Great Prince Yaroslav the Wise and son of Prince David Svyatoslavich of Chernigov (+ 1123). Nicholas was the Prince of Lutsk, and he had a wife and children (his daughter was later…
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…
The Holy Hierarch Averkios of Hieropolis lived in Phrygia during the second century. The city of Hieropolis was inhabited by many pagans and very few Christians. The Saint prayed to the Lord for the salvation of their souls, and that they might be numbered among God’s chosen flock. An Angel…
Translation of the relics of Blessed James of Borovichi, Wonderworker of Novgorod Saint James took upon himself the arduous task of foolishness for Christ in his youth. Most of the details of his life are unknown, but the Lord glorified him after death. In the year 1540, on the third day of Pascha,…
The Holy Wonderworkers and Unmercenary Physicians Cosmas and Damian and their mother Saint Theodota were natives of Asia Minor (some sources say Mesopotamia). Their pagan father died while they were still quite small children. Their mother raised them in Christian piety. Through her own example,…
Saint Lazarus the Wonderworker of Mt Galesius near Ephesus was born in Lydia, in the city of Magnesium. An educated young man who loved God, Lazarus became a monk at the monastery of Saint Savva, the founder of great ascetic piety in Palestine. He spent ten years within the walls of the monastery,…
The Persian Martyr Mίlos was once a General. Later, he was chosen as the Bishop of Telepolis (Susa, or Shushan in Syriac), where the Prophet Daniel saw visions.1 Because of his devout ascetical life, Saint Mίlos received from God the gifts of prophecy and healing. He was ordained by Bishop…
Saint Gregory the Wonderworker, Bishop of Neocaesarea, was born in the city of Neocaesarea (northern Asia Minor) into a prominent pagan family (between 210 - 215), and his original name was Theodore. After his elementary education, Saint Gregory and his brother Gregory, or Athenodoros…
Saint Hilarion the Georgian was the son of a Kakheti aristocrat. There were other children in the family, but only Hilarion was dedicated to God from his very birth. Hilarion’s father built a monastery on his own land, and there the boy was raised. At the age of fourteen Hilarion left the…
According to a local tradition, Saint James received monastic tonsure at Kopyrsk monastery on the River Ukhtoma, 80 kilometers from Rostov. For a long time he was igumen of this monastery, and in the year 1385 he was made Bishop of Rostov when Pimen was Metropolitan and Demetrius of the Don was…
Saint Spyridon of Tremithus was born towards the end of the third century on the island of Cyprus. He was a shepherd, and had a wife and children. He used all his substance for the needs of his neighbors and the homeless, for which the Lord rewarded him with a gift of wonderworking. He healed those…
Saint Theophanó was a pious and virtuous Empress, who was greatly praised by the chroniclers of her time because of her evangelical life, her almsgiving, and her exceptional piety. She born in Constantinople, the daughter of Constantine Martinakios and his wife Anna, who raised their daughter with…
Saint Sophia (in the world Great Princess Solomonia Yurievna) was born around 1490, the daughter of the noble Yuri Saburov. Her mother died when she was young, and she was raised by her aunt Eudokia (her father's sister). In the year 1505 she was chosen as the bride of the heir to the throne, the…
Saint Simeon of Verkhoturye was a nobleman, but he concealed his origin and led the life of a beggar. He walked through the villages and for free sewed half-coats and other clothes, primarily for the poor. While doing this he deliberately failed to sew something, either a glove, or a scarf, for…
Saint Elias was a monk in the Near Caves Monastery in Kiev. He was from the city of Murom, and was called “Shoemaker” or “Cobbler." Popular legend identifies him with the famous warrior Elias of Murom, who was the subject of Russian ballads, and of Gliere’s Symphony No. 3. However, there…
Saint Peter, Metropolitan of Moscow, was born in Volhynia of pious parents, Theodore and Eupraxia. Even before the birth of her son, the Lord revealed to Eupraxia the preordained blessedness of her son. At the age of twelve, young Peter entered a monastery. He successfully studied the book sciences…
It is not known where or when Saints Theophilos and Jacob were born, but they spent some time on the island of Konevets with Saint Arsenios of Konevets (June 12), and perhaps it was there that they began their monastic labors. Then, in 1395 or 1396, both ascetics left Konevets and crossed the…
In the manuscript of the Olonets Trebnik under May 17 it is noted: "Today is the transfer of the relics of Venerable Father Adrian, Igoumen of Saint Nicholas Monastery on Lake Ladoga, on Ondrus Island, in the Olonets district, the new wonderworker. His memory is also celebrated on August 26."