Nov. 20th St. Gregory the Decapolite Saint Gregory was born in the Isaurian city of Decapolis (ten cities) in the VIII century. From his childhood he loved the house of God and the Church Services. He read the Holy Scripture constantly and with reverence. In order to avoid the marriage which his parents had intended…

St. Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow Saint Philaret (Drozdov) was born on December 26, 1782 in Kolomna, a suburb of Moscow, and was named Basil in Baptism. His father was a deacon (who later became a priest).  The young Basil studied at the Kolomna seminary, where courses were taught in Latin. He was small in stature,…

Holy New Martyr Anastasius of Epirus and of Daniel, who converted from Islam Saint Anastasius and his sister were mid-18th century peasants living in Epirus during Ottoman times. When a band of Turks entered their village, its leader, Musa, was struck by the beauty of Anastasius’ sister and tried to seize her, but Anastasius fought…

St. Gregory the Wonderworker 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 (Athēnódoros)1(according to some hagiological sources) they went…

Holy Apostle and Evangelist Matthew The Holy Apostle and Evangelist Matthew, was also named Levi (Mark 2:14; Luke 5:27); he was one of the Twelve Apostles (Mark 3:18; Luke 6:45; Acts 1:13), and was brother of the Apostle James Alphaeus (Mark 2:14). He was a publican, or tax-collector for Rome, in a time when the…

St. Paisius Velichkovsky Saint Paisios (Paϊsios) Velichkovsky was born in Poltava in Little Russia on December 21, 1722, and was the eleventh of twelve children. His father John was a priest, who named him Peter at his Baptism, in honor of Saint Peter the Metropolitan of Moscow, on whose Feast he was born. After the…

St. Gregory Palamas Saint Gregory Palamas, Archbishop of Thessalonica, was born in the year 1296 in Constantinople. Saint Gregory’s father became a prominent dignitary at the court of Andronicus II Paleologos (1282-1328), but he soon died, and Andronicus himself took part in the raising and education of the fatherless boy. Endowed with fine abilities and…

St. John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople Saint John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople, one of the Three Hierarchs [January 30], was born at Antioch in about the year 347 into the family of a military commander. His father, Secundus, died soon after the birth of his son. His mother, Anthusa, widowed at twenty years of age,…

St. Nilus the Myrrh-Gusher Saint Nilus the Myrrh-Gusher of Mt Athos was born in Greece, in a village named for Saint Peter, in the Zakoneia diocese. He was raised by his uncle, the hieromonk Macarius. Having attained the age of maturity, he received monastic tonsure and was found worthy of ordination to hierodeacon, and then…

Menas the Great Martyr The Holy Great Martyr Menas (Mēnás), an Egyptian by birth, was a military officer and served in the Kotyaeion region of Phrygia under the centurion Firmilian during the reign of Emperors Diocletian (284-305) and Maximian (305-311). He was praised and admired for his bravery in battle, his patience, and his self-discipline.…