May 26 The Holy Apostle Carpus

The holy apostle Carpus was one of the Seventy Apostles. He was a follower and companion of the Apostle Paul, by whom he was appointed Bishop of Varna in Thrace. He also preached the Gospel on Crete, where he received St. Dionysius the Areopagite in his home. St. Dionysius testifies that Carpus was a man […]

May 25 The Third Finding of the Head of Forerunner and Baptist of Our Lord, John

The third discovery of the Venerable Head of the Holy Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John happened around the year 850. The head of St. John the Forerunner was first found on the Mount of Olives where it had been hidden by Joanna, wife of Chusa, after the saint’s beheading; and found the second time in […]

May 24 Our Venerable Father Simeon of the Wondrous Mountain

Our venerable father Simeon, of the Wondrous Mountain in Syria, was a priest and anchorite in the 6th century. He lived in conversation with Christ and the angels atop a column for forty–five years and was granted power over the demons and the powers of nature. He is also known as St. Simeon Stylites the […]

May 23 Our Holy Father and Confessor Michael, Bishop of Synnada

Our holy father Michael the Confessor was a monk in a monastery on the coast of the Black Sea before the Patriarch Tarasius (784-806) consecrated him as Bishop of the city of Synnada. He was present at the Seventh Ecumenical Council at Nicea in 787. St. Michael bravely and openly opposed the iconoclast heresy of […]

May 22 The Holy Martyr Basiliscus

The holy martyr Basiliscus was a soldier and a cousin of St. Theodore the Recruit. Through his preaching and example, St. Basiliscus brought many to the Faith. He suffered greatly for the sake of Christ. His two brothers suffered with him and were crucified before he was sent to Prison in Comana where he met […]

May 21 The Holy Emperor Constantine and His Mother Helen, Equal to the Apostles

The holy Emperor Constantine reigned in ancient Rome and in Byzantium (which became New Rome), and was the first Christian emperor and champion of the Faith. Though he was not baptized until on his deathbed, he considered himself a Christian, and called the First Ecumenical Council at Nicea in 325 to settle the Arian heresy.  […]

May 20 The Holy Martyr Thaleleus

The holy martyr Thaleleus at Agea in Cilicia. Born in Lebanon in the third century, St. Thaleleus was an eighteen-year-old fair haired young man, training to be a physician. He courageously confessed Christ as God. After several attempts to execute the martyr, he was finally beheaded. The relics of the holy martyr Thalelaeus are in […]

May 17 The Holy Apostle Andronicus and his Companions

The holy apostle Andronicus was one of the Seventy apostles. He and his companion Junias were kinsmen of St. Paul, as he mentions in Romans 16:17. St. Andronicus was Bishop of Pannonia but still he traveled preaching the gospel with Junias, bringing the word of God to pagans. Many pagans temples were closed and Christian […]

May 16 Our Venerable Father Theodore the Consecrated

Our venerable father Theodore was a disciple of St. Pachomius (May 15). Yearning for monastic life at an early age, he left his parents home at the age of fourteen and joined one of St. Pachomius’ monasteries. St. Theodore cared for St. Pachomius during his final illness. He became the hegumen of all of St. […]

May 15 Our Venerable Father Pachomius the Great

Our venerable father Pachomius the Great was a soldier in Thebaid (Upper Egypt) in the fourth century. After watching Christians feed and care for his fellow soldiers because they loved their God and wanted to fulfill His commandment to love their neighbor, St. Pachomius converted to Christianity. After his baptism, St. Pachomius led a strict […]