Saint Philoumenos was born in Morphou, Cyprus, in 1913. At the age of 14, he and his twin brother entered the monastic life in Cyprus, and at age 20 departed for Jerusalem. There, Fr. Philoumenos became a priest and was raised to the rank of...

This touching 19th century Russian icon depicts the Martyr Sophia and her daughters Faith, Hope, and Love (in Slavonic: Vera, Nadezhda, and Lyubov). They lived near Rome in the 2nd century. Under the reign of Hadrian, they were found to be Christians...

This contemporary Byzantine icon of Saint Menas the Wonderworker features the holy Saint opening his hands in the orans gesture of prayer. Christ is mystically depicted within the Saint, as the Lord filled him with His divine life. Saint Menas is one of...

The holy New Martyr Dionysios was a monk of Vatopedi Monastery on Mount Athos. In 1822, he was sent to Crete with the holy Belt of the Theotokos admidst an epidemic that was ravaging the island. A revolution had broken out on the island against the...

This icon by Brian Whirledge features Saint Dionysius in his episcopal robes, holding the Gospel. As one of the earliest converts to Christianity, he is an important figure in the first century Church. Saint Dionysius was the second bishop of Athens. He...

Saint Moses the Ethiopian, also known as Moses the Black, lived in Egypt during the fourth century. He was a slave, but after committing a murder, his master cast him out. Moses carried on with his sinful life, and was widely feared for his infamous...

This beautiful Byzantine icon depicts Saint Athanasia of Aegina, Greece, who lived in the 9th century. Besides serving as an advisor to the Byzantine empress, she was an abbess known for her healing of the sick and those who suffered demon possession...

Saint Cecilia was from a wealthy Roman family. Through her witness to the Gospel, she brought her husband and brother into the Faith. They suffered martyrdom in the year 288, during the reign of Diocletian. Her feast is celebrated on November 22. She...

Saint Theodore the Soldier (or "the Recruit," "the Tyro" or Theodore of Amasea) was a soldier and martyr in the early 4th century, enduring the persecutions of the emperors Maximian and Maximus. When it was discovered he was a Christian, a judge...

Saint Katherine (also spelled Catherine) was a Great Martyr who suffered in the year 305 at the hands of Maximinus of Alexandria. She is commemorated in the Slavic churches on November 24, the date of her martyrdom. In the Byzantine churches, she is...

Saint Boniface lived during the reign of Emperor Diocletian (286-305). He was the servant of a ranking Roman woman named Aglais, but in truth they were living together in a sinful union. Boniface drank heavily and lived in hedonism, yet he was...

Saint Larisa (or Larissa) was one of the 26 Martyrs of Crimea slain by the Goths in the year 375. They are commemorated together on March 26.

Saint Agnes lived in Rome, the child of Christian parents. She dedicated herself to a life of virginity for the sake of Christ, and refused the proposal of the son of a Roman official. After confessing Christ, she was arrested, tortured, thrown into...

Saint Tatiana lived in Rome in the early 3rd century. She was raised a Christian and served as a deaconess. After her prayers resulted in the miraculous destruction of various idols and pagan temples, she was arrested and brutally tortured. Her...

Saint Nicholas II reigned as the last Tsar (Emperor) of Russia from 1894 to 1917. His rule saw the liberalization and eventual fall of the Russian Empire in the Bolshevik Revolution, which ushered in the Soviet communism which was incredibly...

Saint Joseph lived in Syria in the 19th century. He was a priest who worked as a translator and editor of the Church Fathers' writings, desiring to bring their teachings to the faithful. In 1860, a wave of anti-Christian Druze riots swept through...

Saint Katherine (also spelled Catherine) was a Great Martyr who suffered in the year 305 at the hands of Maximinus of Alexandria. She is commemorated in the Slavic churches on November 24, the date of her martyrdom. In the Byzantine churches, she is...

Saint Dymphna lived in the seventh century. She was born in Oriel in northeastern Ireland to Damon, a pagan king; her mother was a Christian. When she was 14 years old, Dymphna took a vow of chastity. Her mother died soon afterwards. After the death of...

Saint Boniface lived during the reign of Emperor Diocletian (286-305). He was the servant of a ranking Roman woman named Aglais, but in truth they were living together in a sinful union. Boniface drank heavily and lived in hedonism, yet he was...

Saint Boniface lived during the reign of Emperor Diocletian (286-305). He was the servant of a ranking Roman woman named Aglais, but in truth they were living together in a sinful union. Boniface drank heavily and lived in hedonism, yet he was...

This historic Russian icon depicts St. Theodore of Russia saving a princess who had been imprisoned by a demonic serpent monster. Several scenes from the story are included that show the saint overcoming evil.  This early 17th century icon captures...

Saint Justin was born in Palestine in the year 103. He was incredibly intelligent and had a love of knowledge, which led him to a fervent study of Greek philosophy. After probing the depths of Plato and others, he concluded that none of them could...

This Saint Valentine lived in Silistria (modern Bulgaria) in the 3rd century. He was a soldier in the Roman army, and when he was 30 years old, he confessed his faith in Christ, together with his brother Pasikrates. They were tortured and martyred...

  Saint Gabriel was born on March 22, 1684, in Zvierki (Zwierki, Poland). His parents, Peter and Anastasia, maintained their Orthodox faith despite the growth of Uniatism in the region. As a child, Gabriel preferred prayer and solitude rather than...

Saint Tryphon (or Trypho) was born in the early 3rd century in Phrygia of Asia Minor. In his youth, he tended geese. He was a devout Christian, and was granted the power to work miracles and cast out demons. He was offered rewards, but always...

Saint Photeini (also known as Photina, Photine, Photini, or Svetlana) was the Samaritan Woman met by Christ in John 4. Their conversation is the longest recorded dialogue between Christ and a single person.  She had had five husbands and was...

Saint Cyprian served as bishop of Carthage in the Roman province of Africa (in modern Tunisia). He was baptized late in life, but his conversion was radical and swift. Because of his great zeal, he was ordained a deacon, then priest, then bishop within...

Saint Katherine (also spelled Catherine) was a Great Martyr who suffered in the year 305 at the hands of Maximinus of Alexandria. She is commemorated in the Slavic churches on November 24, the date of her martyrdom. In the Byzantine churches, she is...

This contemporary Byzantine icon depicts St. Laurence of Rome in the beautiful robes of his diaconate.  Saint Lawrence (or Laurence) lived in the 3rd century. He was a companion of Pope Martyr St. Sixtus II, one of Rome's seven deacons at that...

Saint Valentine (or Valentinus) was a 3rd century bishop of Terni in Italy. He was martyred in Rome in 269. He is commemorated on February 14 by Western Christians and on July 30 by the Eastern Orthodox. There is another Saint Valentine, a presbyter of...

Saint Nicholas II reigned as the last Tsar (Emperor) of Russia from 1894 to 1917. His rule saw the liberalization and eventual fall of the Russian Empire in the Bolshevik Revolution, which ushered in the Soviet communism which was incredibly...

Saint Tryphon (or Trypho) was from Lampsacus (modern Lapseki). He tended geese and was filled with the Holy Spirit, able to work powerful miracles of healing and exorcism. He became a bold preacher of Christ during the reign of Emperor Decius, about...

Saint Elizabeth was born in Germany in 1864 to a noble family. At age 14 she was orphaned, and was raised in part by her grandmother, Queen Victoria of Great Britain. She married into the Russian Royal Family in 1884, joining to her husband, Grand Duke...

These martyrs were Roman soldiers who were rounded up in the year 320 for being Christians. They were condemned to death and were left naked on a frozen lake in winter. The guards prepared hot baths and tempted the soldiers to renounce Christ and live,...

Saint Eugene was one of the five companions who were martyred for Christ under Diocletian. For his part, Eugene's tongue was cut out, his hands and feet were cut off, and he was finally beheaded. He suffered about the year 300. His feast is celebrated...

These martyrs were from Iconium in Asia Minor. When her husband died, Julitta was left to raise her three-year-old son Cyricus (or Quriaqos) alone. During the persecutions of Diocletian, they fled to Tarsus, but were arrested in the year 305...

Saint George, sometimes called “the Trophy-bearer,” was born in the province of Cappadocia, Asia Minor (Turkey), in the third century and raised as a Christian. About age 20, he joined the Roman army under the emperor Diocletian,...

The Apostle Stephen was the first deacon of the Church. For this, he is called "Protodeacon" or "Archdeacon," and as he was the first Christian martyr, he is called "Protomartyr." While performing his missionary work, he defeated some Jews in a debate...

Saint Demetrios (or Demetrius) was born in Thessaloniki in the third century. He was a soldier in the Roman army and exhibited every Christian virtue. During the persecution of the emperor Diocletian, Demetrios was imprisoned. While in prison he spoke...

This 17th century icon comes from the Hilander monastery on Mount Athos. It features four prominent warrior saints, from left to right, Demetrios the Myrrh-streaming (also spelled Demetrius/Dmitri), George the Trophy-bearer, Prokopios (or Procopius),...