May 28 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)

May 27 - Eastern Orthodox Church calendar - May 29

The Eastern Orthodox cross

All fixed commemorations below celebrated on June 10 by Orthodox Churches on the Old Calendar.^{[note 1]}

For May 28th, Orthodox Churches on the Old Calendar commemorate the Saints listed on May 15.

Saints

• Hieromartyr Eutychius of Melitene, Bishop of Melitene (1st century)^[1]
• Woman martyr Heliconis of Thessalonica (244)^{[2][note 2]}
• Saint Alexander, Bishop of Thessalonica (4th century)^{[4][note 3]}
• Hieromartyr Helladius of the East, bishop (4th century)^{[5][6][note 4]} (see also May 27)
• Venerable Nicetas the Confessor, Archbishop of Chalcedon (early 9th century)^{[7][note 5]}
• Blessed Andrew of Constantinople, Fool-for-Christ of Constantinople (911)^[6][8]
• Venerable Virgin-Martyr Philothea (Philothea of Pamphylia), Wonderworker^{[9][note 6]}

Pre-Schism Western saints

• Martyrs Crescens, Paul, Dioscorides and Helladius, of Rome (244)^[10][11]
• Martyrs Aemilius, Felix, Priamus, and Lucian, in Sardinia.^{[3][11][note 7]}
• Saint Senator of Milan, Bishop of Milan, (480)^{[11][12][note 8]}
• Hieromartyr Caraunus (Ceraunus, Cheron), Deacon, near Chartres (5th century)^{[11][13][note 9]}
• Saint Justus of Urgell, first recorded Bishop of Urgell, in Catalonia in Spain (527)^{[11][14][note 10]}
• Saint Germain of Paris (Germanus), Bishop (576)^{[11][15][16][17][note 11]}
• Saint William of Gellone, built a monastery at Gellone in France, later named Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert (812)^[11]
• Saint Podius, Bishop of Florence from 990, and Confessor (1002)^[3][11]

Post-Schism Orthodox saints

• Saint Ignatius of Rostov, Bishop and Wonderworker (1288)^[18]
• Saint Gerontius, Metropolitan of Moscow (1489)^[19]
• Venerable Sophronius of Bulgaria, Monk (1510)^{[20][note 12]}
• New Martyr Demetrius (Mitros) of Tripolitsa (1794)^[6]
• New Hieromartyr Zachariah, Priest of Prusa (1802)^[6]
• Saint Helen Manturova, Nun of Diveyevo (1832)^[6][22]
• Blessed Domnica (Likvinenko), Ascetic of Cherson (1967)^[6][23]

New martyrs and confessors

• Hieromartyrs Macarius Morzhov, and Nicholas Aristov (Deacon) (1931)^[22][24]
• Martyrs Dionisius Petushkov, Ignatius Markov and Peter Yudin (1931)^[22][24]
• Hieromartyr Heraclius Motyah, Confessor (1936)^[22][24]
• Hieromartyr Basil Preobrazhensky, Priest (1940)^[25]
• Hieromartyr Hermogenes Kadomtsev (1942)^[22][24]

Other commemorations

• Icon of the Mother of God of Nicea (304)^{[26][note 13]}
• Icon of the Mother of God "the Unbreakable Wall".^{[27][28][note 14]}
• Icon of the Mother of God the "Softener of Evil Hearts".^{[29][30][note 15]}
• Synaxis of the Galich "Umilenie-Tenderness" Icon of the Mother of God (1350)^{[31][32][note 16]} (see also: July 20, August 15)

Icon gallery

• 
  St. Nicetas the Confessor, Archbishop of Chalcedon (Menologion of Basil II).
• 
  St. Andrew of Constantinople.
• 
  St. Senator of Milan.
• 
  St. Justus of Urgell.
• 
  Side of the Cathedral of St. Justus of Urgell, Spain.
• 
  St. Germain of Paris (from a Book of Hours illuminated by Jean le Tavernier, c. 1450-1460).
• 
  Romanesque apse of Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert, in Hérault, France - the monastery William of Gellone founded in 804 and entered in 806.
• 
  St. Ignatius of Rostov.

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. "At Corinth, St. Helconides, martyr, who was first subjected to torments in the reign of Emperor Gordian, under the governor Perennius, and then again tortured under his successor Justin, but was delivered by an angel. Her breasts were cut away, she was exposed to wild beasts and to fire, and finally her martyrdom was fulfilled by beheading."^[3]
3. Archbishop Alexander took part in the First Ecumenical Council in Nicaea in 325 AD.
4. The Hieromartyr Helladius the Bishop was thrown into fire because of his faith in Christ, but he remained unharmed. He died as a martyr from the terrible beating inflicted upon him. In the Service to St Helladius it is said that the Lord Jesus Christ visited him in prison and healed him of his wounds. According to certain sources, St Helladius suffered under the Persians during their invasion into the Eastern part of the Roman Empire in the fourth century.
5. His memory, along with a service in his honour, is recorded in the Codex Athous Lavrensis. It states that he was the Bishop of Chalcedon between 726AD - 775 AD, and courageously opposed the iconoclastic heresy. He reposed in peace.
6. According to her hagiography in the Great Synaxaristes, Virgin-Martyr Philothea was born in Molyvoto in Pamphylia in Asia Minor. Her parents, the Patrician John and his wife Irene, gave her a Christian upbringing, but they died when Philothea was still young. From her youth she was interested in the ascetic life. When she was 14 years old she was obliged to marry a 17-year-old named Constantine, however she was able to convince him that they should preserve their virginity, and not know each other, following the example of Venerable Ammon of Egypt (mid-4th century, October 4). Her husband became a priest but died six years later. Philothea then sold all the family wealth, giving the proceeds to the poor, to churches, and monasteries, and withdrew to an island in the middle of a lake, near Molyvoto. She practiced fasting, prayer, and all-night vigils, and her asceticism became well-known in the region, and God blessed her as a Wonderworker. She reposed in peace, and her holy relics were enshrined in the church of the Most Holy Theotokos. Later her holy relics were transferred from Eastern Thrace to Tarnovo, capital of the Second Bulgarian Empire, by decree of Tsar Kaloyan of Bulgaria (1197-1207). In Tarnovo, her sacred relics were credited with many miracles and curing the sick. In 1395 AD, after Tarnovo was captured by the Ottoman Turks, her holy relics were transferred in a grand procession to Vidin. However in 1396 the Ottoman Turks captured Vidin as well, and the Virgin-Martyr's holy relics were lost in the ensuing chaos. They were discovered again in the second half of the 16th century in Argesh in Wallachia, Romania.
7. Churches are dedicated to these saints in Sardinia.
8. A priest from Milan in Italy who attended the Council of Chalcedon in 451 AD as a young man and later became Archbishop of Milan.
9. Of Roman descent, he preached the Gospel in France and was killed by robbers near Chartres. A church and monastery were built over his tomb.
10. He wrote a commentary on the Song of Songs.
11. Born near Autun in France, he became an abbot and later Bishop of Paris. He healed King Childebert I and converted him from an evil life. The King built the monastery of St Vincent for him, which is now known as Saint-Germain-des-Prés. St Germanus was given the title of 'father of the poor'.
12. The Monk Sophronii (in the world Stefan) – was a native of the village of Penkovets in Bulgaria. He accepted monastic tonsure at a monastery near Rus' along the River Danube/Dunaj, where he asceticised in deeds of fasting and prayerful vigilance. In 1510 the monk was murdered by his own servant. His relics were found undecayed after three years, and afterwards the Vita-Life of the saint was compiled.^[21]
13. The Nicea Icon of the Mother of God was glorified in the year 304. During the time of a siege by Hamir of the city of Nicea, situated in Asia Minor, a certain Constantine, seeing the icon of the Mother of God, took hold a stone and threw it at the icon, and then began to trample it underfoot. By night the Mother of God appeared in a dream to the perpetrator of the sacrilege and said: "Thou hast committed grave insult to Me. Know, that thou hast done this to thine own perishing". Punishment followed forthwith. During the time of battle he was suddenly struck on the head by a stone and fell down senseless. This event was told of by the fathers of the First OEcumenical Council (year 325), and they established it to sing before the Mother of God: "Thine Holy Sanctuary Thou hast made the womb".
14. The "Unbreakable (or "Indestructible") Wall" Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos is commemorated on the Sunday of All Saints. It is an icon of the Blachernae type, in which the Virgin is shown with Her hands raised and the palms facing forward. Christ is depicted within a roundel, or mandorla. This is an oval or circle symbolizing the glory of Heaven, or Divine Light. Perhaps the name of this particular Icon is derived from Amos 7:7 where the Lord is said to be standing on "a wall of adamant" (LXX).
15. The "Softener (or "Consoler") of Evil Hearts" Icon of the Mother of God is similar to the "Seven Swords" Icon (August 13). It depicts the Theotokos with seven swords piercing Her heart (Luke 2:35). There are three swords on the right side, three on the left, and one from below. The icon appears to be of Western origin. The "Softner of Evil Hearts" icon is commemorated on the Sunday of All Saints.
16. The Icon of the Mother of God of Galich-Chukhlomsk "Tenderness" (Umilenie) appeared in the year 1350 to the Monk Avraam of Galich, having come there from the north for ascetic deeds with the blessing of the Monk Sergei of Radonezh.