Despite the rise of Christianity, much of the population of the Roman Empire were still Pagans, and the persecution of Christians was still common. Saint Eleutherius lived during the reign of the emperor Hadrian, who was hostile towards Christians.
They raised their voice in defence of their fellow Christians and became martyrs during the reign of the anti-Christian Roman Emperor Decius (249-251).
These five brave men found glory in eternity with their great feat of martyrdom for the Christian faith during the persecution of Christians in Rome under emperors Emperors Diocletian and Maximian
Saint Spyridon, much like our grandfather in heaven, is praying for us so we are not in need. He responds to our daily concerns and looks kindly upon us, even when we act up and do mischief.
With his life, he taught us that we serve God in multiple ways, and it is up to us to decide how to serve Him best by leading a spiritual life. Saint Daniel chose his by repeating the great feat of his teacher, Simeon the Stylite, who lived…
This eighteenth-century saint sets an example of genuine veneration of the saints, by being models in the service of God, by nurturing our inner self and by practising the Christian virtues.
Patapius showed an early interest in the study of Christian teachings, was sent to a catechetical school. His spiritual teacher, a blind man, developed in him an interest in an ascetic life.
He utilized ideas from Pagan philosophers to assert the truth of the Christian faith, modelled his sermons on the orations of Cicero, and went on record as a reformer of church singing.
He is one of the most esteemed abbots of Palestine, a founder of monasticism in the Eastern Church, and a magnet for countless believers. His pious life and righteousness made him worthy of the gift of miracle-working.
Saint John Damascene lived at an exciting time. The Christian Church, severely persecuted only years before, became the official church of the state. God, faith and the trinity became some of the most popular subjects of table talk.
He was the eighth of the twelve minor prophets who lived around 650 BC. He foretold the devastation of the Jerusalem Temple, the Babylonian captivity of the Jews and their return to their homeland. He wrote the book of Habakkuk of the Old Testament.
Commemoration of the prophet Nahum has a special meaning for Saint Elisabeth Convent. We invoke his name in our prayers for the recovery and salvation of patients with mental disorders as we pursue our ministry among them.
Saint Andrew was happy to remain backstage and let his brother be in the centre. To him, pride, honour or recognition was of no importance.
Together with 370 other Christian martyrs, he suffered for his faith during the persecution of the believers in Christ under the Roman Emperor Decius.
They gave help to all who asked, rich and poor, and even animals. By healing in the name of Christ, they worked innumerable miracles.
Saint Ludmila illumined the people of Czechia with the light of God’s truth. Her grandson Vyacheslav brought his people to Christ, but as a descendant of the Serbian princess, she lived a dramatic life.
He is remembered as one of the few heads of the Russian Church who openly opposed the Tsar for his treatment of dissent and the lawlessness of the Oprichnina rule.
The cross-cutting themes of his writings were spiritual life and acquiring experiential knowledge of God through incessant prayer. He left a rich legacy of works that expressed these complex ideas in plain language
