Dmitry Lapa

The Serb Boban, Max the Dog, and Their Chalet in Sar Planina Mountains

Notes from Kosovo and Metohija

Maria Vasic

There have been no clashes on nationalistic grounds in Brezovica: They have lived and continue to live peacefully. No one here is surprised when a Serb helps his Albanian neighbor or vice versa.

The Local Saints of Central England

Part 3: Sts. Ragener and Tibba

Dmitry Lapa

If asked who is the most mysterious early English saint, lovers of Anglo-Saxon holiness may well name St. Ragener, who was greatly venerated in Northampton, the county town of Northamptonshire. This holy soldier and martyr for Christ would have remained in obscurity but for a series of visions and miracles which occurred three centuries after his death.

The Local Saints of Central England

Part 2. St. Osburga of Coventry, Commemorated March 30 / April 12

Dmitry Lapa

Pilgrimages to St. Osburga’s shrine continued throughout the Middle Ages, and in 1410, following petitions of the laity and clergy of Coventry, an official feast in honor of this saint was established. Her reliquary stood in the south transept of the post-Conquest monastery church of Coventry. Her relics were translated in 1482 within the monastery. Her splendid shrine with relics, along with her head enclosed in copper and gold, was destroyed during the sixteenth-century Reformation, and the monastery dissolved.

The Local Saints of Southern England. Part 1

Cuthburga, Cwenburga, and Dicul

Dmitry Lapa

The first Christians had appeared in the south of England with the Romans and merchants in the first century A.D. But the development of the Orthodox faith did not begin until the early seventh century.

The Local Saints of Western England

Part 2: Sts. Edfrid of Leominster and Werstan of Malvern

Dmitry Lapa

St. Werstan was one of the last pre-schism saints of the British Isles. Though obscure, he is associated with some of the most important and interesting holy places of western England.

The Local Saints of Western England

Part 1: Sts. Arilda of Thornbury and Edburga of Winchester

Dmitry Lapa

Not long ago a thirteenth-century Latin hymn in praise of St. Arilda was found in the cathedral archives, translated into English, and this version is sung by the congregation at Oldbury-on-Severn every year close to St. Arilda’s feast.

The Local Saints of Eastern England

Part 2: St. Hibald of Lindsey (December 14/27), St. Pandwina, Nun of Eltisley (August 26/September 8), St. Pega of Peakirk (January 8/21), St. Wendreda of March

Dmitry Lapa

St. Hibald (Hygbald), who reposed in around 690, was a disciple of St. Chad of Lichfield, the Apostle of Mercia, whose example he tried to follow.

Venerable Ebba, Abbess of Coldingham

Commemorated August 25/September 7 (repose) and November 2/15 (translation of relics)

Dmitry Lapa

It is regrettable that only a few facts about the life of this great abbess who was venerated all over Scotland and northern England and esteemed by the Venerable Bede are known. Now that the interest in this holy woman is increasing among the Orthodox, let us recall her biography.

Venerable Merewenna and Ethelfleda of Romsey

Commemorated: February 10/23 (St. Merewenna) and October 23/November 5 (St. Ethelfleda)

Dmitry Lapa

This article is dedicated to two heroic holy women who served as Abbesses of Romsey, a convent in Hampshire in southern England, which remains a holy site to this day.

Two Saints of Somerset: Congar of Congresbury and Decuman of Dunster

Dmitry Lapa

Before the English had invaded the whole of Somerset by 710, a host of Celtic saints—monastery builders, preachers, and hermits—had struggled here, and after Somerset had become part of Wessex many early English saints labored on its territory. Such great national saints as Dunstan and Alphege of Canterbury were born in Somerset. This county is home to a number of ancient shrines and sites visited by pilgrims. Let us recall two holy Celts who carried out their spiritual labors in this land: Sts. Congar and Decuman.

Holy Hierarch Swithin, Bishop of Winchester and Wonderworker

Commemorated: July 2/15 (repose) and July 15/28 (translation of relics)

Dmitry Lapa

St. Swithin is one of the greatest wonderworkers of England and most beloved and popular saints, who has always been venerated by pious English people on a par with St. Cuthbert of Lindisfarne.

Rating: 9.4|Votes: 22

Saint Wite (Candida) of Dorset

Commemorated June 1/14

Dmitry Lapa

And today numerous miracles still occur by the prayers of St. Wite of Dorset both near her relics and her holy well. Let us recall who she was.

Rating: 10|Votes: 20

Holy Hierarch Patrick, the Apostle of Ireland and Wonderworker

Commemorated: March 17/30

Dmitry Lapa

The future saint obtained a good education, but Christian teaching did not interest him much. When the boy was sixteen, Irish pirates pillaged his father’s villa during a raid. Thus the young Patrick was sold into slavery and sent to Ireland.

Rating: 10|Votes: 8

Venerable Brigid, Abbess of Kildare

Commemorated: February 1/14

Dmitry Lapa

The most popular woman saint of Ireland, St. Brigid is ranked as the second patron of this land after St. Patrick.

Rating: 9.5|Votes: 20

Women Saints of Cornwall, Part 1

Dmitry Lapa

Among the host of saints who shone forth from the fifth to the seventh centuries in Cornwall to the far southwest of England, there were many women. We find holy missionaries, teachers, anchoresses, abbesses, nuns, righteous laywomen, martyrs, princesses and queens. Many of them were natives of Cornwall, but many came from Ireland and Wales where Orthodox Christianity flourished at that time.

Rating: 9.8|Votes: 15

Saints of the Isle of Man

Dmitry Lapa

This small island has a very rich Christian heritage dating back to the first centuries of Christianity and the so-called “Celtic tradition” which prospered there in the first millennium.

Rating: 10|Votes: 14

Righteous Walstan of Bawburgh

Commemorated May 30 / June 12

Dmitry Lapa

Over the past century a keen interest in this unique saint has developed among Orthodox, Catholics and Anglicans in East Anglia; more recently the prominent Suffolk historian Carol Twinch has thoroughly researched St. Walstan. Let us recall his Life.

Rating: 8.5|Votes: 6

Holy Hierarch Aldhelm, Abbot of Malmesbury and Bishop of Sherborne

Commemorated: May 25/June 7 (repose) and May 5/18 (translation of relics)

Dmitry Lapa

A very talented man by nature, under the influence of other fathers among his contemporaries, Aldhelm became a prominent scholar, writer, poet, musician, singer, pastor, archpastor, teacher and builder of churches.

Rating: 10|Votes: 8

Holy Hierarch John of Beverley, Bishop of York, Wonderworker

Commemorated: May 7/20 (repose) and October 25/November 7 (translation of relics)

Dmitry Lapa

There are a number of early saints of England whose spirit of love, humility and kindness was not erased by the centuries of Protestantism and secularism. St. John of Beverley, whom our great authority, the Venerable Bede of Jarrow, referred to as a “wonderworker”, is one of them.

Rating: 9.4|Votes: 14

Venerable Withburgh (Withburga) of Dereham

Commemorated: March 17/30 (repose) and July 8/21 (translation of relics)

Dmitry Lapa

Although the Venerable Bede does not mention her, we know about St. Withburgh from the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, early traditions and the Latin manuscript called Liber Eliensis, which is a chronicle compiled in the monastery in Ely at the beginning of the twelfth century and contains, among other things, brief Lives of several East Anglian female saints.

Rating: 9.9|Votes: 7

Holy Hierarch Felix, Apostle of East Anglia

Commemorated: March 8/21

Dmitry Lapa

This early Orthodox saint, sometimes known as “St. Felix the Burgundian”, has long been venerated as the enlightener of East Anglia, one of the seven ancient kingdoms that formed most of what is now England.

Rating: 9.6|Votes: 15

Two Saints of the Channel Islands: Helier and Branwalader

Dmitry Lapa

We hope and pray that the veneration of these two early saints of the Channel Islands, which many centuries ago expressed the Orthodox traditions of Celtic Wales and Cornwall and mainland Gaul alike, will revive among Orthodox believers and that the Orthodox faith will be restored in this unique small region between England and France.

Rating: 9.4|Votes: 5

Saint Tysilio of Wales

Commemorated: November 8/21

Dmitry Lapa

St. Tysilio, whose name means “Dear Little Sunday’s Child”, is ranked among the Fathers of the Welsh Church.

Rating: 9.3|Votes: 13

Holy Infant Prince Rumwold of Buckingham

Commemorated: November 3/16 (repose) and August 28/September 10 (translation of relics)

Dmitry Lapa

Not only was Rumwold recognized as a saint, thanks to him many inhabitants of early and late medieval England came to believe in Christ, and his popular veneration was nearly nationwide.

Rating: 9|Votes: 3

Holy Hierarch Paulinus of York

Commemorated: October 10/23

Dmitry Lapa

Paulinus was most probably born in the early 570s in what is now Italy and eventually became a monk at St. Andrew’s Monastery in Rome and a disciple of the Holy Pope Gregory.

Rating: 9.6|Votes: 7

Two Saints of Devon: Rumon of Tavistock and Urith of Chittlehampton

Dmitry Lapa

Saintly men and women—preachers, teachers, hermits, bishops, abbots and abbesses, holy rulers, princes and princesses—carried out their spiritual labors in Devon and today churches, holy wells and monastic ruins bear witness to their presence.

Rating: 9.8|Votes: 4

Two Saints of the English Midlands: Bertram of Ilam and Alcmund of Derby

Dmitry Lapa

The English Midlands has its wealth of ancient relics and shrines. Let us talk about two ancient Midland saints whose veneration by Orthodox and other Christians is still alive.

Rating: 10|Votes: 8

Saint Samson of Dol

Commemorated: July 28/August 10

Dmitry Lapa

St. Samson, one of the most successful Celtic missionaries, was born in about 486/490 and reposed in about 565. This saint played a key role in establishing the Church of the British settlers in Brittany.

Rating: 10|Votes: 4

Saint Alban of Verulamium, Protomartyr of Britain

Commemorated June 22/July 5

Dmitry Lapa

We firmly believe that the very name of St. Alban predetermined that he became one of the symbols and chief patrons of this country. Let us hope and pray that through his intercession the ancient faith and spirituality will be restored in this ancient Orthodox Christian land.

Rating: 9.8|Votes: 11

Venerable Columba of Iona, Wonderworker

Commemorated: June 9/22

Dmitry Lapa

The founder of the great and famous monastery on Iona along with numerous other monastic communities and churches, St. Columba has for fourteen centuries been greatly venerated by many Christians as the enlightener of Scotland, a co-patron of Ireland and the spiritual father of a host of churches throughout Europe.

Rating: 10|Votes: 3

Venerable Maelrubha of Applecross

Commemorated: April 21/May 4

Dmitry Lapa

St. Maelrubha (Maolrubha) has been venerated as one of the apostles of the Picts in Scotland and of Skye. This saint is mentioned in many Irish annals of the time.

Rating: 5.9|Votes: 7

Saints Brynach and Derfel Gadarn of Wales

Dmitry Lapa

This article is dedicated to two Welsh saints whose veneration has continued for many centuries and whose feast days are very close to each other. They are Sts. Brynach and Derfel Gadarn.

Rating: 8.2|Votes: 10

Venerable Enda, Abbot of Inishmore

Commemorated: March 21/April 3

Dmitry Lapa

The fame of St. Enda spread far and wide. The loving care of the holy abbot was directed not only toward monks, but also at the poor, the oppressed and suffering. According to tradition, he ordered the monks to build “eight places for refuge” on the island, where all who had nowhere else to go could find shelter and care.

Rating: 5.8|Votes: 5

Saints Piran and Constantine of Cornwall

Dmitry Lapa

Let us now talk about two saints of Cornwall, one of whom was Irish but moved to evangelize Cornwall, and the other one who was Cornish but left his native land to preach in faraway Scotland. They are Sts. Piran and Constantine.

Rating: 9.6|Votes: 5

Holy Hierarch Chad of Lichfield, Apostle of Mercia, Wonderworker

Commemorated: March 2/15

Dmitry Lapa

Pious English people, especially ordinary folk, have deeply loved and venerated this saint for more than 1300 years as one of their protectors. His veneration is similar to that of Sts. Aidan and Cuthbert of Lindisfarne and Swithin of Winchester; he lived absolutely in the same spirit with them.

Rating: 10|Votes: 3

Holy Hierarch Aidan (Moedoc), Bishop of Ferns

Commemorated: January 31/February 13

Dmitry Lapa

An ancient tradition relates that there was no boat on the isle to deliver the newborn Aidan to mainland Ireland so that he could be baptized. Then he was miraculously brought to the Irish shore on a stone and was successfully baptized.

Rating: 4.1|Votes: 17

Venerable Dwynwen of Llanddwyn Island, Patroness of Love and Marriage

Commemorated: January 25/February 7

Dmitry Lapa

One of the most celebrated female saints of Wales is Venerable Dwynwen (also Donwenna: + c. 460; according to another version: fifth-sixth centuries).

Rating: 6.4|Votes: 5

Four Saints of Aberdeenshire: Sts. Machar, Drostan, Nathalan and Fergus

Dmitry Lapa

The Christian Church and monasticism developed in Scotland on the Irish model. The Christianization of Scotland continued till the eighth century, and despite the recurring pagan reaction, it was very successful.

Rating: 2|Votes: 1

Venerable Cadfan of Bardsey in Wales

Commemorated November 1/14

Dmitry Lapa

One of the greatest and most venerated “insular saints” of Wales is St. Cadfan.

Rating: 9.5|Votes: 2

Venerable Frideswide, Patroness of Oxford

Commemorated October 19/November 1 (Repose) and February 12/25 (Translation of Relics)

Dmitry Lapa

For over 1000 years St. Frideswide has been venerated as the patron saint of Oxford in England and for over half of millennium, as the heavenly patroness of Oxford University and its students.

Rating: 8.5|Votes: 6

Saint Triduana of Scotland

Commemorated: October 8/21

Dmitry Lapa

St. Triduana (also Triduna, Tradwell), one of the most venerated female saints of Scotland, lived between the fourth and the eighth centuries.

Rating: 7.8|Votes: 9

Holy Hierarch Finbarr of Cork

Commemorated September 25/October 8

Dmitry Lapa

St. Finbarr preached energetically in the south of Ireland and, according to some traditions, also in Scotland, though there is no written evidence to confirm that. The saint of God spent a part of his life as an anchorite in full seclusion on an island in lake Gougane Barra in county Cork. With time the holy ascetic was joined by numerous disciples, mainly from southern Ireland, and St. Finbarr founded a monastery and a school near his hermitage at Gougane Barra, both of which became very famous and attracted a large number of monks and students from the southern part of the emerald island.

Rating: 8.3|Votes: 6

Venerable Edith of Wilton

Commemorated: September 16/29

Dmitry Lapa

St. Edith (also Editha, Eadgyth, Eadgith) was one of the most venerated female saints of England.

Rating: 1.5|Votes: 2

Unique Georgian monuments of Tetritskaro Municipality

Malkhaz Ebralidze

According to some information, there are around 375 historic architectural monuments on the territory of the Tetritskaro Municipality within the historic province of Kvemo Kartli in southeastern Georgia.

Rating: 2|Votes: 2

Oldest Christian churches in Russia may be lost forever

Maria Shustrova

Every year hundreds of tourists visit the canyon of the Bolshoy Zelenchuk River in order to admire the magnificent tenth century Christian temples built on the site of the ancient settlement of Nizhny Arkhyz. Most scientists identify this ancient settlement with Maghas, or Maas – the capital of the large kingdom of Alania which existed in the Middle Ages. The city grew and prospered because strategic routes of the Silk Road passed through it. Alania flourished the most in the mid-tenth century when the kingdom’s nobility embraced Christianity. It was then that over twenty churches were erected in the Bolshoy Zelenchuk valley.

Rating: 8.6|Votes: 8

Venerable Eanswythe of Folkestone

Commemorated: August 31/September 13 and September 12/25

Dmitry Lapa

St. Eanswythe gained fame as a wonderworker. There are several cases of her miracles which are known: firstly, she returned sight to a blind woman by her prayers; secondly, she restored the mental health of a mad man; thirdly, a holy spring with healing properties gushed forth at her intercessions which provided fresh water to her community and the saint even commanded it to flow upstream from a mile away; fourthly, she forbad birds to steal corn from the convent fields and they obeyed her.

Rating: 10|Votes: 1

Film on victims of sects shown in Moscow

Valeria Mikhailova

The actor noted that the film’s primary aim is to tell people that they are not alone: “The movie gives you the understanding that there will always be people who will support you; you need only to find them… Please, do not think that your problem is unsolvable."

Rating: 9.8|Votes: 4

Modern Art and Church Art

Nikita Filatov, Archpriest Leonid Kalinin

Is secular art capable of talking about God, or is this the prerogative of church art only? When and why does an artist start to support evil? Is there a chasm between secular and church art, or can they interact with each other? Are modern technologies and styles permissible in the Church?

Rating: 10|Votes: 1

Holy Hierarch Ethelwold, Bishop of Winchester

Commemorated August 1/14

Dmitry Lapa

A true revival of English Orthodox monasticism and piety became possible only in the second half of the tenth century, under the three saintly figures known as the “Three English Holy Hierarchs.” These were the holy hierarchs Dunstan of Canterbury, Oswald of Worcester and York, and Ethelwold (originally Aethelwold) of Winchester, three great archpastors for whom veneration was nationwide.

Rating: 10|Votes: 13

“I am waiting for you at Samtavro”: on a miracle of Elder Gabriel (Urgebadze)

Constantine Tsertsvadze

Soon I was shown the tests results and the computer-aided tomography scan of my son’s brain: he had a malignant tumor with metastases in the brain. Georgian doctors refused to perform an operation on my child.

Rating: 10|Votes: 1

There is a direct correlation between euthanasia and abortions! (+Video)

A talk with Archpriest Maxim Obukhov

Nikita Filatov, Archpriest Maxim Obukhov

What shift in the public consciousness makes the population accept homicide? In our talk with Archpriest Maxim Obukhov, director of the “Life” (“Zhizn”) Orthodox medical and educational center, we discuss this and other issues caused by the spread of the “good death”, that is, euthanasia.

Rating: 5.7|Votes: 11

Saint Edith, Abbess of Polesworth

Commemorated July 15/28

Dmitry Lapa

Early England can be proud of having around forty holy abbesses, most of whom were of royal origin. One of them is St. Edith (also Editha, Eadgyth) who became Abbess of Polesworth in central England.

Rating: 10|Votes: 9

Hear with Your Heart: a Talk with Archpriest Andrei Goryachev, Rector of the Community of Deaf and Blind, Deaf, and Mute People in Moscow

Nikita Filatov, Archpriest Andrei Goryachev

Today, we are talking with Archpriest Andrei Goryachev, rector of this church, who speaks the same language as those who cannot hear and understands perfectly those who cannot speak.

Rating: 10|Votes: 3

Resentment Towards Parents—Who is to Blame? (+ Video)

Igumen Nektary (Morozov)

Does a Christian have the right to take offense at his parents? Why do so many elderly parents find themselves alone nowadays? Are the children of “bad” parents exempt from any obligation to honor and care for them? How can parents and children develop a proper relationship?

Rating: 7.4|Votes: 9

Venerable Etheldreda, Abbess of Ely

Commemorated: June 23/July 6

Dmitry Lapa

St. Etheldreda (Aethelthryth, Audrey) is the most venerated English female saint.

Rating: 10|Votes: 1

Saint Herveus of Plouvien

Commemorated: June 17/30

Dmitry Lapa

Although St. Herveus (Herve) who lived in the sixth century is still venerated all over Brittany, very little genuine information on him survives. The first detailed Life of this unique holy ascetic was written only in the late Middle Ages. However, besides these late sources, numerous Breton traditions and pieces of folklore testify to St. Herveus and his veneration in Brittany throughout many centuries.

Rating: 8|Votes: 8

Orthodox pastors on what should we do if the Lord does not grant us children

After getting married, newlyweds always dream and hope that the Lord will bless their family with children. But a year, five, ten years pass and the long-awaited pregnancy does not occur. What should a couple do in this situation? Beyond all doubt, they should keep praying. But do they need to do anything else and should they have recourse to modern medicine? And are all popular contemporary assisted reproductive technologies, such as extracorporal (in vitro) fertilization, acceptable for Orthodox Christians?

Ritualism or reverence

On praying and keeping holy things at home

Alexei Lysenko, Oleg Starodubtsev

In Orthodox circles, some want to venerate wonderworking icons without fail, to visit “the holiest places”, to bring earth from the grave of one or another saint, to dry up and keep prosphora given them by a priest at home and so on. Do these practices bring us closer to paganism or are they indicative of our reverence for divine things?

Rating: 10|Votes: 2

Orthodox Albania: “A seed that is sown needs time to germinate”

Peter Davydov

And now we, Orthodox Albanians, are travelling with the mission to Kosovo, meeting with Kosovars and trying to convince them of the fact that Orthodoxy exists for all nations, that Orthodoxy is as natural for Kosovars and Albanians as it is for Serbs and other nationalities, and that if we had been with Christ we would not have been bogged down with all these troubles.

Rating: 9.5|Votes: 4

Life and Death

A talk with Fr. Alexei Timakov, a priest and emergency room doctor

Nikita Filatov, Priest Alexei Timakov

Priest Alexei Timakov is doctor by profession who has worked in both intensive care units and the emergency room for many years. What kind of experience does one have seeing people die and return to life every day? What happens after life? And how should we prepare ourselves for death, or, to be more exact, for eternal and true life? Our talk with Priest Alexei will be precisely on this theme.

Rating: 10|Votes: 1

Saint Wistan of Mercia, Passion-Bearer

Commemorated June 1/14

Dmitry Lapa

There are a number of early English saints, mostly kings and princes, who have been venerated from time immemorial as what we call passion-bearers. These saints in most cases were slain not explicitly for Christ, but rather for the truth and righteousness. They were usually murdered by their coreligionist-Christians because of the latter’s spite, perfidy and involvement in plots, especially wishing to seize power.

Rating: 2.4|Votes: 7

Orthodox pastors on whether sex discrimination exists in the Church

Today there has been much discussion on the issue of women’s equality. Some find a “violation of women rights” even in the Orthodox Church. Indeed, an Orthodox woman cannot become a priest (or “priestess”), she cannot enter the altar, she submits to her husband in marriage and so on. But is it really sexism? Is there gender inequality in Orthodoxy? What is the role of women in the Church? What should we say to heterodox Christians and non-believers regarding “women’s priesthood”?

Rating: 10|Votes: 7

A Testimony From Eternity

Maria Panisheva

In the following days a great and long-expected event happened in their flat where the Heavenly Kingdom had clearly and openly manifested itself, just as the Holy Prophets Elias and Moses appeared before the apostles on Mount Tabor. A priest baptized the dying man, chrismated him, and then gave him the Holy Body and Blood of Christ and anointed him.

Rating: 10|Votes: 1

Holy Hierarch Augustine, Archbishop of Canterbury

Commemorated May 27/June 9 (repose) and September 13/26 (translation of relics, in Canterbury only)

Dmitry Lapa

Together with St. Gregory the Dialogist (Gregory the Great, according to the Western tradition), the Pope of Rome, St. Augustine (also Austin) is venerated as “the Apostle of the English”.

Rating: 7.1|Votes: 24

The Icon of the Most Holy Mother of God, “The Inexhaustible Cup”

Commemorated: May 5/18

Nadezhda Dmitrieva

And let everybody see the hidden spiritual meaning in the fact that “The Inexhaustible Cup” Icon became a source of saving hopes and cures from the wicked passion of alcoholism: the Mother of God is praying for every single sinner; She, the merciful one, knows the suffering of those who give themselves over to debauchery, knows how strong is the desire of many of them to rid themselves of this brutal vice, but cannot find strength to struggle.

Rating: 9|Votes: 2

Holy Hierarch Erconwald, Bishop of London

Commemorated April 30/May 13

Dmitry Lapa

According to early Orthodox tradition, Christianity was brought to London by the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul who both preached there. The tradition holds that St. Peter founded a church “in the west” which was a predecessor of what is now Westminster Abbey, while St. Paul erected a church “in the east”, which was a predecessor of what is now St. Paul’s Cathedral on Ludgate Hill.

Rating: 10|Votes: 1

Hieromartyr Alphege, Archbishop of Canterbury

Commemorated: April 19/May 2

Dmitry Lapa

St. Alphege (also Aelfheah) is one of the most beloved holy primates of the early English Church, whose liturgical veneration was nationwide for many centuries.

Rating: 10|Votes: 15

A Miracle of Blessed Matrona of Moscow

Elena Alexandrova

Here is the last turn of the queue, and I already see the wonderworking icon of St. Matrona straight ahead. All I had in my mind was an entreaty to God—to give health to my mother and to save her life!

Rating: 1.5|Votes: 2

Saint Paternus of Wales

Commemorated April 15/28

Dmitry Lapa

When Paternus grew up he decided to follow in the steps of his father and, obtaining his mother’s permission and blessing, he set out to Wales together with a group of other young ascetics seeking the solitary life.

Rating: 8.8|Votes: 13

New Orthodox church opened in Chechnya

The Church of the Nativity of Christ in the village of Naurskaya was built by specialists invited from Yekaterinburg, which is why the temple’s architectural features are atypical for churches of the Northern Caucasus. The church has a polished tile floor made from seven types of granite, the domes are covered with gold leaf, and an automated bell ringing system has been installed which can be operated by SMS. The icons for the iconostasis were painted by sisters of the Novo-Tikhvin Convent in Yekaterinburg, modeled on fifth-century Byzantine icons.

Rating: 9.9|Votes: 7

Monasticism is Not a Retirement Hobby

A talk with Metropolitan Anthony (Pakanich) of Boryspil and Brovary (the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate)

Such decisions as whether to take up monasticism can only be made after serious and sober reflection. And you need to have an earnest desire and be convinced (following a long period of testing) that this is really your vocation.

Rating: 9.1|Votes: 7

Miracles of the Optina Martyrs—Fr. Vasily, Fr. Trophim, and Fr. Therapont

On April 5/18, 1993, three monks of the famous Optina Monastery in Russia were slain with a knife that had the numbers “666” on inscribed on the handle. It was the act of a Satanist, whose master hates all mankind but especially monks. But these men, Hieromonk Vasily and monks Trophim and Therapont, are now venerated by the Church as martyrs—and many facts in the lives show that the Lord had prepared His chosen ones for such an end. Now through their prayers, miracles happen. Here are a few examples taken from the Optina Monastery website.

Rating: 9.5|Votes: 11

Orthodoxy is a Way of Life

A talk with Marilyn Swezey, the secretary of Bishop Basil (Rodzianko)

My interviewee has had an extremely interesting and unusual life for an American woman. Charming, intelligent, she looks some 15 years younger than she really is. And behind her there is a long life full of the hard labors of a noble, self-sacrificing person who seeks to see Divine providence in every turn of her life. Here she is: secretary of Bishop Basil (Vasily) Rodzianko, assistant to Metropolitan Jonah (Paffhausen), an expert in the Russian literature and arts, honorable parishioner of the Cathedral of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, Marilyn Pfeifer Swezey.

Rating: 8.9|Votes: 16

Saint Cuthbert of Lindisfarne, Wonderworker

Commemorated: March 20/April 2 (repose) and September 4/17 (translation of relics)

Dmitry Lapa

“Have faith and wholeheartedly trust God Who will never abandon those who Love Him”—these words belong to St. Cuthbert, “the wonderworker of the English land” who lived more than 1300 years ago. It is indisputable that St. Cuthbert of Lindisfarne is the most beloved and venerated English saint throughout the history of the country.

Rating: 8.3|Votes: 8

Saint Kieran of Saighir

Commemorated March 5/18

Dmitry Lapa

Kieran in his spiritual labors imitated the feats of the Desert Fathers and especially St. John the Baptist, and, like many of them, he wore animal skins and slept on the ground. Angels were his companions and helpers from childhood throughout his life.

Holy Hierarch Oswald, Bishop of Worcester and Archbishop of York

Commemorated February 28/March 13

Dmitry Lapa

Oswald was the offspring of pagan Danes who had invaded England in the ninth century and settled in the east and north of England, the region that came to be known as the Danelaw.

Rating: 8|Votes: 4

“My husband and I had no children for many years”

A miracle by St. Simeon the Myrrh-Flowing

A couple’s childlessness of many years, a long-awaited but very difficult pregnancy, emergency delivery, intensive care… And constant prayer. Infant Simeon would not have been born without the help of God, the Mother of God and saints.

Rating: 8.2|Votes: 11

Saint Teilo of Wales

Commemorated: February 9/22

Dmitry Lapa

The veneration of St. Teilo throughout Wales and in Brittany was widespread; many churches across Wales and in western England were dedicated to him. His late Life was composed early in the twelfth century by the cleric Geoffrey of Llandaff.

Rating: 8.3|Votes: 8

Saint Gildas the Wise of Wales, Abbot of Rhuys in Brittany

Commemorated: January 29/February 11

Dmitry Lapa

St. Gildas is regarded as one of the principal apostles of the Orthodox faith and early preachers of Wales, though very scarce details of his activities in the region survive.

Rating: 6.7|Votes: 10

Saint Fursey of Ireland

Commemorated: January 16/29

Dmitry Lapa

Fursey spent most of his life in his native Ireland where he founded the famous Rathmat Monastery, probably in County Clare, which became a celebrated center of Irish monasticism.

Rating: 9.5|Votes: 17

A modern story of miraculous healing from cancer in the Kiev Caves Lavra

Svetlana Pirogova

Time flows differently when you leave the hospital having been diagnosed with cervical cancer, knowing that there is no money for the treatment, and that you cannot tell your relatives about it.

Rating: 10|Votes: 4

“Today is a black day for the history of Greece, but it will get worse.” An interview with Athanasius Zoitakis

Deputy chief editor of the AgionOros (“Holy Mountain”) publishing house, editor-in-chief of the AgionOros website, expert on Greece Athanasius Zoitakis talks about the new pro-sodomite law in Greece and its consequences

Deputy chief editor of the AgionOros (“Holy Mountain”) publishing house, editor-in-chief of the AgionOros website, expert on Greece Athanasius Zoitakis talks about the new pro-sodomite law in Greece and its consequences

Rating: 3.5|Votes: 4

Holy Hierarch Flannan of Killaloe

Commemorated: December 18/31

Dmitry Lapa

The holy man called Flannan who lived in the seventh century is equally venerated in Ireland and Scotland.

Rating: 9.5|Votes: 17

On Fasting Again

Archpriest Oleg Stenyayev

To those on the new style calendar who are celebrating the Nativity of Christ, we wish all a joyous feast. Please keep this delightful article on fasting in mind for Wednesdays and Fridays, and the other three extended fast periods. But for those who are still observing the Nativity fast, may these instructions encourage you during this final stretch.

“There are no winners in such conflicts!”

Metropolitan Bartholomew of Rivne appeals to President Petroshenko concerning Right Sector attacks

Bartholomew, Metropolitan of Rivne and Ostroh

Please, tell us who is the true criminal in this case? How can they commit such unlawful things on this feast, which is one of the most important and joyous days for Ukrainians?

Rating: 8.7|Votes: 7

Talia the fearless motorcycle racer (and great-great-granddaughter of Tsar Nicholas I)

Olga Lunkova

I would like to open one of the little-known pages of the book of the imperial Romanov family, and to remember its last legitimate male line descendant, who spent almost all her life in the USSR (as a class enemy) and post-Soviet Russia.

Rating: 7.7|Votes: 11

Saint Edmund the Martyr, King of East Anglia and Patron-Saint of England

Commemorated November 20/December 3

Dmitry Lapa

St. Edmund, whose name means “blessed protection”, was probably born in 841. He lived during one of the most troubled periods of early English history, when hordes of Danish pirates were devastating English kingdoms one after another, burning churches and monasteries, ravaging them, murdering Christians and all inhabitants.

Rating: 5.3|Votes: 4

Holy Hierarch Dyfrig (Dubricius) of Wales

Commemorated November 14/27

Dmitry Lapa

St. Dyfrig, also known by the Latin name of Dubricius, was one of the founders of Orthodox monasticism in Wales.

Rating: 3.6|Votes: 9

Venerable Illtyd, Abbot of Llantwit Major in Wales and the Teacher of the Welsh

Commemorated November 6/19

Dmitry Lapa

St. Illtyd, who knew very well both the Old and New Testaments, all kinds of philosophy, and other sciences, and was one of the most learned figures of his age, was probably born in the first half of the fifth century.

Rating: 6.3|Votes: 13

At any Cost. A story

Viktoria Borimskaya

Maria had only the following words in her mind throughout the pregnancy: “I do not want a girl. I want another boy.” And also: “At any cost.” Even when Maria was already in the maternity hospital and the midwife asked her jokingly: “Who will we deliver: a girl?” Maria answered stubbornly: “No, only a boy!”

Rating: 6|Votes: 1

Venerable Fintan Munnu, Abbot of Taghmon in Ireland

Commemorated: October 21/November 3

Dmitry Lapa

St. Fintan is venerated in both Ireland and Scotland where churches dedicated to him are to be found in various regions.

Rating: 4.5|Votes: 6

Saint Edwin of Northumbria, King and Martyr, and Saint Ethelburgh, Queen and Abbess of Lyminge

Commemorated October 12/25

Dmitry Lapa

The ferocious pagan called Penda soon afterwards began to rule over the Kingdom of Mercia in present-day central England. The northeastern part of the country then was called Northumbria, which was later ruled by Edwin, who was still a pagan but who was destined to become one of the apostles of his Kingdom. Let us now recall his life.

Rating: 10|Votes: 1

Saint Melor the Breton, Prince and Martyr

Commemorated October 1/14

Dmitry Lapa

Unfortunately, no authentic information on St. Melor (also Melorius, Mylor) survives. We know neither when nor where he lived. The only thing we can say for sure is that his life was connected with Brittany and/or Cornwall, and the most important center of his veneration for many years from the tenth century was the English town of Amesbury in the county of Wiltshire (southern England).

Rating: 10|Votes: 5

Metropolitan Sergius of Ternopil: “We will defend our holy places”

On the violent takeover of a church in Katerinovka

We simply cannot leave our church to its fate or hand it over to someone else. Now some people have lost the fear of God and do not want our communal prayer to continue in the church. And we will do our best to defend our holy places.

Rating: 9.3|Votes: 22

A Monastic Leaven

A Conversation with Archimandrite Pimen (Adarchenko), Superior of the Monastery in Ganina Yama in honor of the Holy Royal Martyrs

Our guides say that very many people even change outwardly after visiting our monastery. They straighten their shoulders. Even their appearance changes! Attitudes to their own lives also change along with their perception of Russian history.

Rating: 2|Votes: 1

Venerable Adomnan, Abbot of Iona in Scotland

Commemorated: September 23 / October 6

Dmitry Lapa

The young Adomnan soon became famous for his learning, brilliant knowledge of the Holy Scriptures and theology, fine teaching abilities and holiness of personal life.

Rating: 6.5|Votes: 11

Saint Bega, Anchoress of Cumbria

Commemorated: September 6/19 and October 31/November 13

Dmitry Lapa

St. Bega is said to have been Irish. She was a virgin who led a holy life in north-western England. The legend says that she was an Irish princess, the most beautiful in her kingdom, who fled from her native land to avoid marriage with a pagan Viking—a Norwegian prince. Guided by an angel, Bega refused a pagan husband, as she wanted to devote her life to the Heavenly Bridegroom—Christ.

Rating: 8.8|Votes: 13

"To remain Christians. If we can manage…"

Igumen Daniel (Irbits) on the new “migration of peoples”

Peter Davydov

The arrival of thousands of refugees, migrants and settlers from Africa and Asia to “the Old World” is already being interpreted by many Europeans as a catastrophe, a curse, and a real challenge not only to the culture, economy, and the Christian faith of the continent (which is still alive, though is becoming very weak), but, therefore, to the very existence of the continent and its native inhabitants. What should Europe do not to be afraid?

Rating: 9.6|Votes: 5

Holy Hierarch Aidan of Lindisfarne, Apostle of Northumbria and Wonderworker

Commemorated August 31/September 13

Dmitry Lapa

The first missionary who came from Iona was Corman, but he was very stern with the Angles and could not speak their language, so he soon had to go back. On his return to Iona, Corman told the brethren: “What a hopeless task it is to preach to these savage and stubborn Angles!” One of the monks, named Aidan, answered him gently: “Brother, you were probably too strict with these illiterate people.” So it was decided to send Aidan to Northumbria.

Rating: 7.9|Votes: 7

Venerable Neot of Cornwall

Commemorated: July 31/August 13

Dmitry Lapa

St. Neot lived in the ninth century. He was of noble birth. Neot began life as a soldier but after some time he resolved to give up a military career and dedicate his life to the service of God and prayer.

Rating: 7.5|Votes: 2

Saint Maelruain, Abbot of Tallaght in Ireland

Commemorated July 7/20

Dmitry Lapa

This holy man contributed immensely to the restoration of spirituality and serious monasticism in Ireland in the second half of the eight century. Under his influence the monastic life and asceticism in the country reached a high level such as can only be compared with that of the era of the great founding fathers of Irish monasticism of the sixth century.

Rating: 9.5|Votes: 2

Saint Moluog of Lismore

Commemorated: June 25 /July 8

Dmitry Lapa

St. Moluog was an Irishman destined to become one of the most venerated saints in Scotland. He was born in about 530 in what is now Northern Ireland to a noble family. His first monastery was Bangor in Ireland; and about the year 562 he crossed the Irish Sea and founded a monastery on the Scottish isle of Lismore.

Rating: 4.6|Votes: 5

Holy Martyr Nectan of Hartland

Commemorated June 17/30

Dmitry Lapa

As a young man, Nectan decided to become a monk and serve God for the rest of his life, imitating the Holy Fathers of Egypt. So together with a group of his pious relatives, Nectan boarded a boat, promising to lead an ascetic life at the site where his boat would land.

Rating: 9.4|Votes: 23

Venerable Kevin of Glendalough, Wonderworker

Commemorated: June 3/16

Dmitry Lapa

St. Kevin is one of the greatest saints of Ireland and founder of the famous and important Glendalough Monastery.

Rating: 10|Votes: 7

St. Ethelbert of East Anglia, King and Martyr

Commemorated: May 20/June 2

Dmitry Lapa

As soon as the young king mounted his horse, a sudden earthquake occurred that made all his companions panic. Leofruna saw in this a sign from the Lord that her son would never return home alive.

Rating: 5.6|Votes: 9

Venerable Carantoc of Cornwall

Commemorated: May 16/29

Dmitry Lapa

St. Carantoc was a Celtic missionary, ascetic and abbot, who lived in the 6th or 7th century. He was born most likely in the present-day county of Ceredigion in western central Wales and was the grandson of a local ruler.

Rating: 2|Votes: 1

Holy Hierarch Asaph of Wales

Commemorated May 1/14

Dmitry Lapa

Veneration for St. Asaph was so strong that with time the town where his diocese was centered was renamed to St Asaph in his honor. The monastery and cathedral associated with the saint were very famous.

Rating: 10|Votes: 5

Venerable Beuno, Abbot of Clynnog Fawr in Wales

Commemorated April 21/May 4

Dmitry Lapa

Of the life of Venerable Abbot Beuno, probably the greatest saint in North Wales, we know very little. His Life was written many years after his repose, but even the bloody 16th-century Reformation could not erase the memory of this saint of God.

Rating: 9.4|Votes: 10

Venerable Guthlac of Crowland, Wonder-Worker

Commemorated April 11/24

Dmitry Lapa

St. Guthlac of Crowland is one of the greatest hermit-saints of the early English Church and is considered to be the most popular pre-Norman English saint after St. Cuthbert.

Rating: 8|Votes: 8

Saint Edward the Martyr, King of England

Commemorated: March 18/31 (Martyrdom) and September 3/16 (Local Translation of Relics)

Dmitry Lapa

St. Edward ascended the English throne in 975 at the age of only thirteen (or sixteen) after the sudden death of his father St. Edgar aged only thirty-two.

Rating: 10|Votes: 5

Saint Senan, Abbot of Scattery in Ireland

Commemorated March 8/21

Dmitry Lapa

Notably, the saint had so many disciples whom he instructed, that every time he left the monasteries he had established he blessed dozens of them to remain and live there and blessed the most experienced ones to be in charge of these communities.

Rating: 9.7|Votes: 12

An Interview With Fr. John Musther of Cumbria

“Christ Won the Battle and Made my Heart Orthodox!”

Dmitry Lapa

Father John Musther, an Orthodox Englishman, serves in the Orthodox missionary parish of Sts. Bega, Mungo and Herbert in Keswick, Cumbria, North West England. His community, which is under the jurisdiction of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, is part of the ancient tradition of the Orthodox Church. The congregation is a living witness of the truth of Holy Orthodoxy to the people living nearby.

Rating: 2|Votes: 1

Venerable Milburgh, Abbess of Much Wenlock in England

Commemorated: February 23/March 8

Dmitry Lapa

From time immemorial Milburgh has been one of the most popular and venerated female saints of the county of Shropshire in the west of England, along with St. Winefride.

Rating: 8.9|Votes: 34

Holy Father Modomnoc of Ossory, Patron Saint of Bees

Commemorated: February 13/26

Dmitry Lapa

Before he had sailed three miles he suddenly saw a small black cloud that was swiftly approaching from the Welsh coast. Soon the cloud drew near and the holy man to his great astonishment realized that these were the bees from all the beehives of the Mynyw Monastery. The insects began impetuously and joyfully descending onto the boat of their master.

Venerable Werburgh of Mercia, Patroness of Chester

Commemorated February 3/16

Dmitry Lapa

The seventh century played a key role in the history of Christianity in England, as all seven early English kingdoms were converted to the Orthodox faith in that century; the period can be called “the golden age of English Orthodoxy.”

Rating: 10|Votes: 7

“The Choice is in Our Hands.” An Interview With Archpriest Andrew Phillips

Archpriest Andrew Phillips, Dmitry Lapa

It is no good us Russian Orthodox saying, “It cannot happen here.” Remember the Tower in Siloam. “Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” (Luke 13, 4-5). If we do not go to Church, at least attempt to live a Church life, the same thing will happen to us, our children and grandchildren.

Rating: 9|Votes: 7

Venerable Cadoc, Abbot of Llancarfan in Wales

Commemorated: January 24/February 6 and September 25/October 8

Dmitry Lapa

St. Cadoc (c. 497 - c. 580) was the founder of the famous monastery of Llancarfan (c. 518) in the present-day Vale of Glamorgan in Wales. This monastery was to become one of the best-known in Wales, as well as a great centre of learning.

Rating: 8|Votes: 12

Venerable Ita of Limerick, “Foster-mother of the Irish Saints”

Commemorated: January 15/28

Dmitry Lapa

Saint Ita is the second most popular Irish woman saint after St. Brigid. She is venerated in Ireland by Orthodox and Catholic believers to this day.

Rating: 6.4|Votes: 19

A Family of Saints: Sts. Kentigerna, Fillan and Comgan of Scotland

Dmitry Lapa

Amazingly, Celtic holiness is unique for its “families of saints”, which were sometimes very large and included representatives of several generations. There was the spiritual relation between saints; but besides this, there were many saints who were relatives by blood: holy parents and children and grandchildren, holy brothers and sisters, cousins, uncles, aunts, nephews and nieces.

Rating: 5.8|Votes: 12

Venerable Samthann, Abbess of Clonbroney in Ireland

Commemorated December 18/31

Dmitry Lapa

St. Samthann was distantly related to St. Patrick who lived over 200 years before her. As a child she was given to the Irish king Cridan to be brought up. When Samthann grew up, the king found her a suitable, rich candidate as a husband. But the future ascetic did not wish to marry, but rather to live in chastity, prayer and service to God.

Rating: 7.5|Votes: 4

Venerable Hilda, Abbess of Whitby

Commemorated November 17/30 (repose) and August 25/September 7 (translation of relics)

Dmitry Lapa

The wisdom and prudence of this holy woman were held in such high esteem that even kings and bishops asked for her advice. Venerable Hilda took special care of the poor and the oppressed, for which she was revered and loved as “the mother of her country”.

Rating: 9.8|Votes: 4

Holy Fathers Seiriol and Cybi of Anglesey in Wales

Commemorated February 1/14 (St.Seiriol); November 8/21 (St. Cybi)

Dmitry Lapa

St. Seiriol is one of a great multitude of island saints who led a solitary life in tiny hermits’ cells on small isles off the coasts of Wales, Scotland and Ireland. St. Cybi is along with St. Seiriol one of the most venerated saints in Anglesey.

Rating: 5.7|Votes: 11

Saint Colman of Kilmacduagh in Ireland, Wonder Worker

Commemorated: October 29/November 11

Dmitry Lapa

St. Colman’s zeal and thirst for spiritual perfection were so strong that with time he resolved to leave the island monastery and to retreat to a remote and quiet place to pray more deeply.

Rating: 7.6|Votes: 23

St Kenneth, Abbot of Aghaboe in Ireland

Commemorated: October 11/24

Dmitry Lapa

St. Kenneth became renowned for his sermons, which were full of inspiration and rated very highly by his contemporaries. Among other things, the saint was a well-known spiritual poet and theologian as well. These written works include commentaries on all four Gospels, known as the “Chain of St. Canice”.

Rating: 6.4|Votes: 11

Saint Ciaran, Abbot of Clonmacnoise in Ireland

Commemorated September 9/22

Dmitry Lapa

Ciaran was educated by the prominent theologian St. Finnian of Clonard, the spiritual father of the “Twelve Apostles of Ireland”. Here he showed himself to be a most gifted student and one of the most zealous monks.

Rating: 7.6|Votes: 14

Saint Ninian of Whithorn, Apostle of the Southern Picts, Wonderworker

Commemorated August 26/September 8

Dmitry Lapa

The future saint was most probably born in the second half of the fourth century—perhaps in about 360. He belonged to the so-called “Roman-British” tradition of early British Christianity. His native land was most likely Cumbria; at least it is nearly certain that he was born south of Hadrian’s Wall in today’s northern England. His father, according to some sources, was a local Christian ruler.

Rating: 7.8|Votes: 11

Saint Oswald of Northumbria, King and Martyr

Commemorated August 5/18

Dmitry Lapa

Once Sts. Oswald and Aidan were sitting at the same table on Easter Day. Servants brought the king the royal meal on a large, silver dish. Suddenly one servant informed him that a great multitude of beggars had gathered in the neighbouring streets, waiting for alms from the king. The king at once ordered all the food to be given to the beggars as well as to break the dish into pieces and give them to the needy. St. Aidan then took Oswald by his right arm and exclaimed: “May this arm be incorrupt forever”.

Rating: 7.4|Votes: 17

Saint Kenelm of Mercia, Prince and Passion-Bearer

Commemorated July17/30

Dmitry Lapa

The boy related his dream to his old and wise nanny Wolweline. The latter wept very bitterly, realizing that the boy was to be martyred very soon and that unrighteous people were to seize power in the kingdom. But at the same time she rejoiced as Kenelm was to dwell among the saints.

Rating: 7.3|Votes: 3

Venerable Botolph of Iken, Patron-saint of travellers

Commemorated 17/30 June and 1/14 December

Dmitry Lapa

St. Botolph has been venerated in many countries outside Britain—in Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Holland, where many churches are dedicated to him. In the 11th century, his veneration reached Kievan Rus’ and more recently it reached North America. In England and the whole of Western Europe St. Botolph is mainly venerated as patron-saint of travellers, as the saint travelled much himself.

Rating: 8.7|Votes: 9

Venerable Petroc of Cornwall

Commemorated June 4/17

Dmitry Lapa

The Gospel was brought to Cornwall in the fifth century or even earlier, and monastic life began there in 475. At that time Cornwall became known as “the land of saints” or “the Thebaid of saints”. Indeed, between the fifth and sventh centuries Cornwall produced so many saints, ascetics, hermits, abbots, missionaries, holy bishops and kings, that nearly each town and village in the region has its own patron-saint.

Rating: 4.2|Votes: 12

Venerable Comgall, Abbot of Bangor in Ireland

Commemorated May 10/23

Dmitry Lapa

St. Comgall is venerated as one of the greatest confessors, spiritual fathers and ascetics of his age. The biographer of St. Columban, Jonah of Bobbio, wrote the following of St. Comgall: "He was a great father of monks in Ireland, noted for his perseverance in teaching and strict discipline." St. Comgall was venerated all over Ireland.

Rating: 7.3|Votes: 6

Holy Hierarch David, Patron Saint of Wales

Commemorated: March1/14

Dmitry Lapa

The abbot led the same simple life as his monks and worked as hard as any of them. All the community members wore simple clothes and all their belongings were held in common. Voluntary poverty and the refusal of all possessions were among the main rules of the monastery. St. David himself, like many other Celtic saints, used to retreat to the river to read the whole Psalter, standing in cold river water even in winter.

Rating: 9.3|Votes: 3

Saint Cuthman of Steyning

Commemorated February 8/21

Dmitry Lapa

St. Cuthman of Steyning, one of the most venerated saints in southern England, probably lived in the late 7th to early 8th century. He is best remembered in the small town of Steyning in West Sussex. Sussex people have for many centuries venerated him for his meekness, humility, love, compassion, closeness to the people and many miracles.

Rating: 6.9|Votes: 14

Holy Hierarch Kentigern (Mungo) of Strathclyde, Bishop of Glasgow, Wonderworker

Commemorated January 13/26

Dmitry Lapa

St. Kentigern was much loved and venerated by the people for his gift of working miracles. Once he brought back to life a tame robin of St. Serf, which had been killed by jealous monks. Another time he miraculously lit a fire in St. Serf's monastery, which had earlier gone out.

Rating: 10|Votes: 4

Holy Hierarch Egwin, Bishop of Worcester

Commemorated December 30/January 12 (repose) and September 10/23 (translation of relics)

Dmitry Lapa

Once a certain herdsman named Ioves was searching for a pig that had gone astray. He walked deep into the forest and saw the Mother of God with two angels on the site of present-day Evesham. Amazed by this vision, the herdsman told Bishop Egwin about the miracle. The saint prayed very hard for several days and then decided to go to that place himself. The holy hierarch had exactly the same vision, which had already appeared to Ioves. The Mother of God ordered Bishop Egwin to found a monastery on the site and blessed him with a cross. This event is considered to be the first recorded miraculous appearance of the Mother of God in England.

Rating: 6.4|Votes: 7

Venerable Finnian, Abbot of Clonard

Commemorated December 12/25

Dmitry Lapa

The disciples of Clonard established hundreds of churches and monasteries in Ireland as well as in other countries. According to a custom which existed in Clonard, every monk who left the monastery as a missionary took with him a copy of the Gospels, a crozier and some holy object and later, when building his own church or monastery, placed these relics inside it.

Rating: 9.5|Votes: 6

Holy Hierarch Birinus, Bishop of Dorchester-on-Thames and Apostle of Wessex

Commemorated December 3/16 (repose) and September 4/17 (translation of relics)