These two saints founded a monastery that eventually developed into the town of Borgo San Sepolcro. Giles brought with him a relic of the Holy Sepulchre, inspiring the dedication of the site, while Arcanus joined him in establishing a community rooted in prayer, labor, and hospitality. Their monastery became a spiritual center for the region and eventually a place of pilgrimage. Their collaboration exemplifies how shared ascetic effort can shape entire communities.

Saint Meletius the Younger of Thebes (1105):

Saint Meletius was a monk and ascetic of deep humility, known for his prophetic insight and his ability to reconcile feuding families and communities. He lived in strict fasting, wore simple garments, and spent long hours in prayer. His miraculous gifts drew many to seek his blessing, though he constantly fled praise. After his repose, his relics became a source of healing, and his legacy endured in the monasteries he inspired throughout Greece.

Venerable Nicholas of Courtaliatis (1670):

Nicholas was a monk of Crete whose life was marked by simplicity, obedience, and deep inner prayer. Living under Ottoman rule, he provided quiet spiritual strength to oppressed Christians. He became known for his compassion and for the miracles that occurred through his prayers, particularly healings of those weighed down by spiritual afflictions. His repose in peace crowned a life of hidden holiness.

New-Martyr Angelis of Constantinople (1680):

Angelis was a pious young man from Constantinople who fell into the hands of authorities after false accusations brought by enemies of the faith. Pressured to convert to Islam, he refused steadfastly, declaring Christ as his God despite promises of wealth and threats of torture. Subjected to harsh beating and imprisonment, Angelis endured everything with courage beyond his years, strengthening his fellow prisoners by his witness. At last he was executed, sealing his confession with his blood and joining the ranks of the New Martyrs under Ottoman rule.

Venerable Anthony of Agyia:

Anthony lived as a monk dedicated to prayer, poverty, and obedience. His cell in Agyia was a source of spiritual counsel for those burdened by sorrow or confusion. He practiced ceaseless prayer and showed great gentleness toward the weak, teaching that humility is the foundation of every virtue. His repose in deep peace reveals the fruit of a life wholly surrendered to God.

Saint Haido of Stanos (1820–1821):

Haido was a young woman from Stanos in Macedonia who lived during turbulent times marked by oppression and war. Her life was characterized by purity, devotion, and steadfast courage. When threatened with forced marriage to a Muslim and with renouncing her Christian faith, she resisted bravely. Refusing to betray Christ, she was subjected to threats, coercion, and violence, yet she held firm. Finally, she suffered martyrdom, giving her life as a witness to the sanctity of Christian freedom and the dignity of conscience.

Virgin-martyrs Tatiana and Natalia (1937):

Tatiana and Natalia were two young Orthodox women martyred during the Soviet persecutions, a time when confession of faith was considered a crime against the state. Both lived quiet but devout lives, attending church secretly, helping the poor, and preserving Christian traditions in a society where doing so invited punishment. Arrested for their association with clergy and for refusing to renounce their faith, they were interrogated harshly and pressured to denounce Christ. They refused with quiet dignity. Eventually they were executed, joining the multitude of New Martyrs of Russia whose steadfastness in the face of ideological cruelty illumined the twentieth century with the light of faith and courage.

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Lives of the Saints Celebrated on September 2

Martyr Mamas of Caesarea in Cappadocia, with his parents Martyrs Theodotus and Rufina:

Martyr Mamas stands among the most beloved early Christian witnesses, known both for his innocence and his unwavering courage. His parents, Theodotus and Rufina, were devout Christians imprisoned for their faith under Roman persecution. Mamas was born in prison, baptized in chains, and orphaned almost immediately when his parents accepted martyrdom with quiet courage. Raised by a Christian widow, he grew into a young man whose purity, gentleness, and unshakeable loyalty to Christ gave him a spiritual authority far beyond his years. When the persecution in Caesarea intensified, Mamas was arrested and ordered to renounce Christ and sacrifice to idols. Though barely more than a youth, he stood before governors and executioners with a fearless serenity that astonished all who heard him. He endured severe tortures—scourgings, burning irons, and brutal confinement—but he refused to waver, choosing truth over life itself. Tradition also remembers his bond with wild animals, which approached him with a harmonious gentleness that mirrored his own purity. In the end, after surviving torments that should have killed him, he was pierced with a trident and gave his soul peacefully to God. His parents’ steadfast faith lived on in him, and together they remain symbols of courage passed from one generation to the next, proving that holiness can shine even in the darkest trials.

Saint John the Faster, Patriarch of Constantinople:

Saint John the Faster was one of the most ascetical and spiritually discerning leaders ever to sit on the patriarchal throne of Constantinople. Renowned from his youth for strict fasting, deep prayer, and humility, he became a priest known for extraordinary compassion toward sinners and a rare gift of spiritual healing. Upon becoming Patriarch, he sought not power but purity—purity of the clergy, purity of worship, and purity of life in the great capital of the empire. His pastoral work was marked by an unusual combination of gentleness and firmness. He corrected sin without humiliating the sinner, insisted on repentance without crushing the weak, and called the entire city to a deeper life of prayer and restraint. His spiritual discernment was so refined that he could recognize the hidden wounds of the human soul and prescribe repentance like a physician prescribes medicine. He was the first to use the title “Ecumenical Patriarch,” not as a boast but as a description of his responsibility for the spiritual care of Christians both near and far. Though his life was strict, he was not harsh; though he fasted with severity, he embraced his flock with fatherly tenderness. At his repose, Constantinople mourned a shepherd who had carried their burdens with prayer and taught them that holiness begins not in grand gestures but in daily acts of discipline and mercy.

3628 Martyrs of Nicomedia:

The 3628 martyrs of Nicomedia suffered during one of the most ferocious persecutions of the early Church, under Emperor Diocletian. The city had a flourishing Christian community, organized, devout, and unashamed of its identity. When Diocletian launched his assault against the Christian faith, the believers in Nicomedia refused to abandon Christ, even as imperial soldiers surrounded their gatherings, burned their churches, and hunted them through the streets. The persecution reached a horrifying climax when thousands of Christians assembled for worship were trapped inside their church and burned alive. Those who escaped the flames were captured and executed in waves—stabbed, drowned, tortured, or thrown to wild beasts. Their response was not panic or despair but remarkable spiritual unity. Families encouraged one another to stand firm; clergy exhorted their flocks as they were led to execution; young and old alike accepted suffering with the quiet dignity of those who know their loyalty belongs to a higher King. Their collective martyrdom became a monument of steadfastness, showing that no earthly power can extinguish a community built on faith, prayer, and the hope of eternal life. Their memory stands as both a tragedy and a triumph: a tragedy for the cruelty they endured, and a triumph for the courage of thousands who died singing the praise of God.

Venerable Anthony and Theodosius, Founders of Monasticism in Rus’ of the Kiev Caves:

Saints Anthony and Theodosius of the Kiev Caves are the fathers of monasticism in the lands of Rus’, shaping the spiritual identity of a nation. Saint Anthony, trained on Mount Athos, brought to Kiev the Athonite spirit of silent prayer, hesychia, and humble struggle. He established a small cave for solitary asceticism, but God soon drew others to him, forming the beginnings of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. His presence radiated a spiritual authority rooted not in command but in example—the authority of a man who had given every breath to God. Saint Theodosius, joining Anthony as a young monk, added a complementary gift: the spiritual fatherhood needed for communal monastic life. Where Anthony embodied solitude, Theodosius embodied brotherhood. He organized the monastery according to the Studite rule, taught gentleness in speech, obedience in action, and charity toward the poor. Under his leadership, the Lavra became the heart of spiritual life for Rus’, forming monks whose lives shaped bishops, writers, missionaries, and saints for centuries. Together, Anthony and Theodosius laid foundations deeper than stone—foundations built from repentance, humility, and ceaseless prayer. Their legacy forged not merely a monastery but an entire culture rooted in the pursuit of holiness.

Martyrs Diomedes, Julian, Philip, Eutykhian, Hesychios, Leonides, Eutychios, Philadelphos, Melanippos, Parthagapa, and Theodore:

These eleven martyrs stood firm during the fierce persecution unleashed under various Roman emperors when confessing Christ meant immediate danger. They came from different backgrounds—soldiers, craftsmen, ordinary townsmen—but shared a single conviction: loyalty to Christ outweighed loyalty to the empire when the two collided. Arrested and interrogated, they were ordered to renounce Christ and participate in pagan rites. Their refusal was calm, united, and unbreakable. One by one they endured tortures designed to terrify them into submission: scourging, burning, dismemberment, and starvation. Yet their courage fed one another; the steadfastness of one strengthened the others. They comforted each other in prison, prayed together as brothers, and encouraged one another to face suffering with dignity. Their common witness turned what could have been isolated deaths into a single, powerful act of unity in faith. They died not as eleven individuals but as one body, bound together by their love for Christ, proving that the strength of faith is multiplied when borne together.

Righteous Eleazar, son of Aaron:

Righteous Eleazar, the son of the high priest Aaron and nephew of Moses, occupies a central place in the sacred history of Israel. He inherited the high priesthood at a moment of transition, guiding the people through the wilderness as they moved from the shadow of rebellion toward the promise of settlement in the land given by God. Eleazar’s life was marked by obedience—obedience not only to the Law but to the will of God revealed through Moses. He played a crucial role in maintaining the purity of worship, teaching the people discernment, and ensuring that the sacred rites were performed according to God’s commandments. It was Eleazar who, by God’s command, received Aaron’s priestly garments at the moment of his father’s death, continuing the priesthood with solemn dignity. His leadership was steady, unflamboyant, and faithful—rooted in reverence rather than personal ambition. His righteousness helped stabilize the nation during its formative years, and he is remembered as a guardian of the covenant and a man who served God with unbroken fidelity.

Righteous Phineas, grandson of Aaron:

Phineas, the zealous grandson of Aaron, is remembered for his bold, decisive action during a period of grave moral crisis among the Israelites. When the people fell into idolatry and immorality with the pagan nations surrounding them, bringing divine judgment upon the camp, Phineas confronted the sin not with hesitation but with a fierce devotion to the holiness of God. His courage halted a plague that had already claimed thousands, and God rewarded him with a “covenant of peace,” promising that the priesthood would remain in his descendants forever. Yet Phineas is not remembered only for his dramatic act of zeal. He also embodied long-term faithfulness, serving as a priest and judge who guided Israel with integrity and steady leadership. His zeal was not reckless passion but disciplined devotion—a love for God that refused to compromise. His life stands as a reminder that genuine righteousness requires both purity of heart and the strength to defend the truth when it is endangered.

Martyrs Aeithalas and Ammon of Thrace:

Aeithalas and Ammon were soldiers in Thrace who were confronted with the choice between imperial command and divine command. When ordered to participate in pagan rituals, they refused, stating plainly that their allegiance was to Christ alone. Their bold confession enraged their commanders, who subjected them to tortures meant to break both body and will. Yet these two brothers-in-arms stood as brothers in faith. Their torturers alternated cruelty with false promises, but neither man faltered. They prayed aloud during their sufferings, strengthening one another with psalms and reminding each other of the eternal kingdom promised to those who endure. Their martyrdom was a testimony not only of personal courage but of fraternity—a witness to the power of friendship rooted in Christ. Their memory stands among the many soldier-martyrs who proved that true loyalty belongs first to God.

Saints Antonii and Feodosii of Pechersk, founders of the Kiev Caves:

These two great ascetics stand as pillars of early Rus’ monasticism, shaping the spiritual character of generations. Antonii brought the Athonite spirit of solitude and repentance; Feodosii shaped that spirit into communal order, charity, and spiritual fatherhood. Together they formed the Pechersk Lavra as a beacon of prayer, humility, and unceasing ascetic struggle. Their lives, marked by gentleness, courage, and unwavering devotion to God, laid the foundations of holiness for an entire nation.

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Lives of the Saints Celebrated on September 3

Hieromartyr Anthimus, Bishop of Nicomedia, and those with him:

Hieromartyr Anthimus shepherded one of the largest and most embattled Christian communities of the early Empire. Nicomedia stood near the heart of imperial authority, and thus its Christians suffered some of the fiercest waves of persecution. Anthimus guided them not through force or political maneuvering but through a fatherly gentleness that revived hope in the persecuted and inspired repentance among the wayward. His preaching carried a serenity born of deep prayer; his presence became a refuge amid the wreckage of burned churches and scattered families. When the Great Persecution erupted, Anthimus worked tirelessly to comfort the suffering, distribute alms, and hide fugitives. Those who suffered with him—Theophilus the Deacon, Dorotheus, Mardonius, Migdonius, Peter, Indes, Gorgonius, Zeno, the Virgin Domna, and Euthymius—formed a radiant company united by faith rather than rank: clergy, palace servants, ascetics, soldiers, and converts from paganism. Each bore unique gifts. Domna, once a pagan priestess, had embraced the faith with such fervor that she lived in hidden asceticism even inside the imperial palace. Others used their influence to minister to imprisoned believers, rescue children, and shelter orphans. Their martyrdoms came in waves, each arrest a blow to a Church already staggering under oppression. Tortures were devised to break their resolve: scourging, fire, iron claws, and suffocating confinement. Yet each remained immovable, strengthened by the prayers of the others. Many guards were converted simply by witnessing their peace. When Anthimus was taken, it was in secret so the people could not gather around him. He converted the soldier sent to kill him and received beheading with holy dignity. The soldier, too, was martyred shortly thereafter, sealed with the blood of the shepherd he had come to love. Their collective witness became a living flame in Nicomedia, burning away fear and setting countless hearts ablaze with courage.

Venerable Theoctistus, fellow ascetic with Venerable Euthymius the Great:

Venerable Theoctistus was among the first architects of desert monasticism, a man whose quiet humility shaped generations of ascetics. Drawn from youth to solitude and prayer, he journeyed into the Judean wilderness seeking a master of the spiritual life. There he encountered Euthymius the Great, whose insight and holiness became the compass of his soul. Theoctistus learned from him the arduous art of inner watchfulness, the discipline of guarding one’s thoughts, and the consolation of constant prayer. The two lived together in a cave for years, sustaining themselves by manual labor and the sparse vegetation of the desert. Their brotherhood was marked by perfect harmony: Theoctistus’ gentleness complemented Euthymius’ prophetic clarity. Eventually, Theoctistus founded a cenobitic monastery under Euthymius’ guidance. There he nurtured monks with a father’s compassion, emphasizing discernment, humility, and obedience as the cure for the passions. Miracles accompanied his prayers—healings, exorcisms, and prophetic counsel—yet he kept them hidden as much as possible to avoid admiration. At his repose, Euthymius grieved as though he had lost a limb of his own soul. A mysterious stillness settled over the monastery, and the brethren sensed the fragrance of grace. The memory of Theoctistus endured as a model of monastic gentleness: strict with himself, tender toward others, and always pointing his disciples toward the quiet kingdom within the heart.

Saint Phoebe, Deaconess of Cenchreae near Corinth:

Saint Phoebe shines brightly in the early Church as a woman entrusted with sacred responsibilities and apostolic confidence. As deaconess of Cenchreae, she ministered to the poor, the sick, widows, travelers, and catechumens. She acted as a trusted collaborator of the Apostle Paul, who commended her to the entire Church at Rome and urged them to receive her “in the Lord.” This remarkable endorsement reveals her stature and reliability among the earliest Christians.

Phoebe used her home as both a refuge and a mission center, aiding evangelists and offering hospitality to those fleeing persecution. She provided material support to struggling believers and funded the spread of the Gospel throughout the region. Her most historically significant task was carrying Paul’s Epistle to the Romans to its recipients—a journey fraught with danger. Tradition holds that she also interpreted Paul’s teaching and clarified his theological points for the Roman Christians, serving as the apostle’s emissary in both message and spirit. Her life exemplified the seamless integration of prayer, charity, leadership, and service. She became a model of responsible spiritual authority exercised through compassion and fidelity to the apostolic mission. Her legacy endures as a reminder that holiness and service are inseparably intertwined.

Martyr Basilissa of Nicomedia: