February 23 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)

February 22 - Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar - February 24

An Eastern Orthodox cross

All fixed commemorations below are observed on March 8 (March 7 on leap years) by Eastern Orthodox Churches on the Old Calendar.^{[note 1]}

For February 23rd, Orthodox Churches on the Old Calendar commemorate the Saints listed on February 10.

Saints

• Hieromartyr Polycarp of Smyrna, Bishop of Smyrna (167)^{[1][2][3][4][note 2]}
• Holy 73 Martyrs of Sirmium, under Diocletian (303)^{[5][note 3]}
• Martyr Clement, by the sword.^[3][7]
• Martyr Thea, by the sword.^[3][8]
• Venerable Gorgonia the Righteous (370), sister of St. Gregory the Theologian.^{[1][3][9][10][note 4]}
• Saint Alexander, founder of the Monastery of the Unsleeping Ones, Constantinople (430)^{[1][11][12][13]} (see also: January 15, July 3)
• Saints John,^[14] Antioch, Antoninus,^[15] Moses,^[3][16][17] Zebinas,^[18] Polychronius,^[19] Moses (another),^[20] and Damian,^[3][21][22] ascetics near Cyrrhus in the Syrian desert (5th century)^{[1][23][note 5]}

Pre-Schism Western saints

• Saint Martha, a virgin-martyr beheaded in Astorga in Spain under Decius (251)^{[24][25][note 6]}
• Saint Polycarp, a priest in Rome noted for ministering to those in prison for their faith (c. 300)^{[24][note 7]}
• Saint Serenus the Gardener, martyr (307)
• Saint Romana (Romina), a virgin born in Rome who reposed at the age of eighteen while living as an anchoress in a cave on the banks of the Tiber in Italy (324)^{[24][note 8]}.^[26][27]
• Saints Syncrotas, Antigonus, Rutilus, Libius, Senerotas and Rogatianus, martyrs at Sirmium in Pannonia (4th century)^[24]
• Saint Florentius of Seville, Confessor, a saint much venerated in Seville in Spain (c. 485)^[6][24]
• Saint Felix of Brescia, twentieth Bishop of Brescia (c. 650)^{[6][24][note 9]}
• Saint Jurmin, an East Anglian prince, son or nephew of King Anna of East Anglia (653)^{[24][28][note 10]}
• Saint Boswell (Boisil), Abbot of Melrose Abbey in Scotland (c. 661)^{[24][29][note 11]} (see also: February 24)
• Saint Mildburga (Milburgh), Abbess of Wenlock Priory (715)^{[6][11][24][28][30][note 12]}
• Saint Medrald (Mérald, Méraut), a monk at Saint-Evroult (Ebrulfus) of Ouche in France, who later became Abbot of Vendôme (c. 850)^[24]
• Saint Willigis, Archbishop of Mainz (1011)^{[24][note 13]}
• Peter Damian, Bishop, Confessor, and Doctor (d. 1072).
• Saint John Theristes ("the Harvester") of Stylos in Calabria (d. 1129)^{[1][11][31][note 14][note 15]} (see also: February 24 )

Post-Schism Orthodox saints

• Venerable Damian of Esphigmenou Monastery, on Mount Athos (1280)^{[1][11][35][36]}
• Saint Cosmas of Zograf Monastery, Mount Athos (1281)^[1][11]
• Saint Moses of White Lake Monastery, monk (1480)^[1][11][37]
• New Monk-martyr Damian of Philotheou and Kissavos, at Larissa (1586)^{[1][3][11][38]}
• New Hieromartyr Lazarus of the Peloponnese (c. 1618)^[1][11]
• Venerable Polycarp of Bryansk, monk of Bryansk (1620-1621)^{[1][39][note 16]}
• Saint Nazarius, Abbot of Valaam Monastery (1809)^[1][11]
• Saint Seraphim (Zenobius), Schema-Metropolitan of Tetritskaro, Georgia, monk of Glinsk Monastery (1985)^[1]

New martyrs and confessors

• New Hieromartyr Paul Kushnikov, Priest (1918)^[40][41]
• New Hieromartyr Michael Edlinsky, Archpriest, of Kiev (1937)^{[1][note 17]} (see also: November 17)
• New Hieromartyr Alexis Nikolsky, Priest (1938)^[11][13]
• New Hieromartyr Nicholas Dimitrov, Priest (1938)^[11][13]
• New Hieromartyr Michael Razhkin, Priest (1938)^[13]
• Martyr Sergius Borodavkin (1938)^[11][13]
• New Hieromartyr Sergius (Bukashkin), Hieromonk, of Novo-Alexandrovka, Moscow (1938)^[1]
• New Hieromartyr Antipas (Kyrillov), hieromonk, of Tatarintsevo, Moscow (1938)^[1]
• New Hieromartyr Philaret (Pryakhin), Abbot, of Trubino, Tver (1942)^[1]

Other commemorations

• Repose of Archimandrite Agapit (Belovidov) of Optina Monastery (1922)^[1]
• Repose of Elder Sabbas (Stavrobouniotes) of Cyprus (1985)^[1]
• Uncovering of the relics (1998) of Blessed Matrona of Moscow (1952)^{[13][note 18]}

Icon gallery

• 
  Hieromartyr Polycarp of Smyrna.
• 
  St. Gorgonia.
• 
  Boisil greets Cuthbert at Melrose Abbey.
• 
  St. Mildburga's Priory, Much Wenlock.

Notes

1. The notation Old Style or (OS) is sometimes used to indicate a date in the Julian Calendar (which is used by churches on the "Old Calendar").
   The notation New Style or (NS), indicates a date in the Revised Julian calendar (which is used by churches on the "New Calendar").
2. Name days celebrated today include:

   • Polycarp (Πολύκαρπος).
3. "At Sirmium, St. Sirenus, monk and martyr. By order of the emperor Maximian, he was arrested and beheaded, for confessing that he was a Christian. In the same place, the birthday of seventy-two holy martyrs, who ended the combat of martyrdom in that city, and took possession of the everlasting kingdom."^[6]
4. Gregory the Theologian eulogized Saint Gorgonia as "The Diamond of Her Sex".
5. Name days celebrated today include:

   • Polychronius (Πολυχρόνιος)
   • Polychronia (Πολυχρονία).
6. "In the city of Astorga, St. Martha, virgin and martyr, under the emperor Decius, and the proconsul Paternus."^[6] Her relics are enshrined at Ribas de Sil and Ters.
7. "At Rome, St. Polycarp, priest, who with blessed Sebastian converted many to the faith of Christ, and by his exhortations led them to the glory of martyrdom."^[6]
8. "At Todi, St. Romana, virgin, who was baptized by pope St. Sylvester. She led a heavenly life in caves and dens, and wrought glorious miracles."^[6]
9. He was bishop for over forty years during which time he was occupied in fighting Arianism and other heresies.
10. His relics were enshrined at Bury St Edmunds in England.
11. Saints Cuthbert and Egbert were among his monks. Both admired him greatly, as did St Bede. His favourite reading was the Gospel of St John.
12. The elder sister of St Mildred of Minster-in-Thanet in England, and the second Abbess of Wenlock. Archbishop Theodore consecrated her as a nun. She had the gift of miracles and healing of the blind and lepers, as well as power over birds and the natural world.
13. The son of a wheelwright, he became a priest at Hildesheim in Germany. Two years later he became Archbishop of Mainz. Although a statesman, Willigis was first and foremost a churchman and always remained humble and charitable to others.
14. Of Calabrian parentage, he was born in Sicily, where his mother had been taken as a slave by the Saracens. He managed to escape to Calabria while still a child and there became a monk. Theristos, meaning harvester, refers to a miraculous harvest reaped by the saint.^[32]
    In December 1994, the Regional Council of Calabria unanimously declared the Byzantine area located between the rivers Stilaro and Aces sacred, in order to allow for the re-establishment of Orthodox monasticism. Thus the Monastery of San Giovanni Theristis was founded. On 24 February 1995, the City of Bivongi officially handed over the Monastery to the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Italy, thus contributing to the restoration of the ancient ties made between monasticism on Athos and Italo-Greek monasticism. From 1994 until mid-2008 Greek-Orthodox monks from Mount Athos, Greece were living in the monastery praying, studying and working. In July 2008, the city council took the monastery from the Ecumenical Patriarchate. Currently the monks residing there are of the Patriarchate of Romania.^[33]
15. The Roman Martyrology (1916 English edition) has the following entry under June 24: "At Stilo, in Calabria, St. John, surnamed Therestus, distinguished for his fidelity to the monastic rule, and for his sanctity."^[34]
16. See: (in Russian) Поликарп Брянский. Википедии. (Russian Wikipedia).
17. See: (in Ukrainian) Едлінський Михайло. Вікіпедії. (Ukrainian Wikipedia).
18. This celebration was entered into the Menologion according to the resolution of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church on July 16, 2013.^[13]