December 15 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)

December 14 - Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar - December 16

The Eastern Orthodox cross

All fixed commemorations below celebrated on December 28 by Eastern Orthodox Churches on the Old Calendar.^{[note 1]}

For December 15th, Orthodox Churches on the Old Calendar commemorate the Saints listed on December 2.

Saints

• Hieromartyr Eleutherius, Bishop of Illyria,^[1] and Martyrs Anthia (his mother),^[2] Coremonus the Eparch (Corybus),^[3] and two executioners who suffered with them.^[4] (117-138)^[5]
• Martyr Eleutherius of Byzantium (beginning of the 4th century)^[6][7] (see also: August 4)
• Martyr Susanna the Deaconess, of Palestine (4th century)^[8]
• Venerable Pardus the Hermit, of Palestine (6th century)^[9][10]
• Saint Stephen the Confessor, Archbishop of Surozh in the Crimea (c. 790)^[9][11][12]
• Monk-martyr Bacchus of St. Sabbas Monastery (Bacchus the New), by beheading (late 8th century)^[9][13]
• Venerable Paul of Mt. Latros (Paul the New Ascetic) (896 or 956)^[14][15]

Pre-Schism Western saints

• Saint Valerian of Abbenza, Bishop of Abbenza in North Africa (457)^{[16][17][note 2]}
• Martyrs Faustinus, Lucius, Candidus, Caelian, Mark, Januarius and Fortunatus, in North Africa.^[16][17]
• Saint Mesmin (Maximin, Maximinus), first Abbot of Micy (Saint-Mesmin de Micy Abbey) near Orleans in France (520)^[16]
• Saint Aubertus, Bishop of Cambrai-Arras (Netherlands) (668)^[9] (see also: December 13)
• Saint Florentius (Flann), Abbot of Bangor Abbey in Ireland (7th century)^[16]
• Saint Offa of Essex, King of Essex in England, he went to Rome and took up the monastic life (c. 709)^{[16][note 3]}
• Saint Urbicius (Urbitius, Úrbez) (c. 805)^{[16][note 4]}
• Saint Adalbero (Adalbero II of Upper Lorraine), a monk at the monastery of Gorze in France, became Bishop of Verdun, but was transferred to Metz (1005)^[16]

Post-Schism Orthodox saints

• Saint Nectarius of Bitel (Nektarios of Bitola, Nektarij Bitolski) (1500)^{[19][note 5]}
• Saint Tryphon of Pechenga or Kola, "Enlightener of the Lapps" (1583), and his martyred disciple Jonah (1590)^{[9][20][note 6][note 7]}

New martyrs and confessors

• New Hieromartyr Hilarion (Troitsky), Archbishop of Verey (1929)^{[9][21][22][23]}
• New Hieromartyrs Alexander Rozhdestvensky and Basil Vinogradov, Priests of Tver (1937)^[22][23]
• New Hieromartyr Victorinus Dobronravov, Priest (1937)^[23][24]
• New Hieromartyr Joseph, Metropolitan of St. Petersburg (1938)^[22][24]
• Virgin-martyr Victorina (Diobronravova).^[24]

Other commemorations

• Commemoration of the ordination of St. John Chrysostom as the Patriarch of Constantinople (15 December 397).^[25]
• Synaxis of the Saints of the Crimea.^[9][24]
• Synaxis of the Saints of Kola (Kolsk).^[9][24]
• Glorification (1997) of Saint Peter (Mogila), Metropolitan of Kiev (1646)^{[26][note 8]} (see also: December 31 )

Icon gallery

• 
  St. Eleutherius, Bishop of Illyria (Menologion of Basil II, 10th century)
• 
  Church of St. Mesmin, La Chapelle-Saint-Mesmin, Loiret, France.
• 
  St. Tryphon of Pechenga, Enlightener of the Lapps.
• 
  New Hieromartyr Hilarion (Troitsky), Archbishop of Verey.
• 
  Saints and martyrs of the Crimea - Basilius, Eugenius, Agathadorus, Elpidius, Eterius, Capito, and Ephraim.
• 
  St. Peter (Mogila) of Kiev.

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. Bishop of Abbenza in North Africa who, aged over eighty, was left to die of exposure for refusing to give up the sacred vessels. He died under the Arian Genseric King of the Vandals.
3. "OFFA succeeded his father Sighere as King of the East Saxons in 704. He was a youth of most noble aspect, in the flower of his age, and most dearly beloved by his people, with the prospect of a long and happy reign. He had entered into an agreement with the family of King Penda to contract a marriage with Kyneswida, the daughter of that prince. But she had resolved to consecrate her virginity to a heavenly Spouse, and in her trouble, on hearing the designs of her kindred, had recourse to the intercession of the Queen of Virgins. Her prayer was heard, and not only was she able to maintain her purpose, but her persuasions so touched the heart of Offa, that he too chose the better part, and after a short reign of four years resigned his kingdom and went on a pilgrimage to Rome, in company with St. Egwin, Bishop of Worcester, and Kenred, King of Mercia, and nephew of the virgin Kyneswida, who had the same pious purpose as himself. In Rome, Offa took the monastic habit, and persevered in that state until called to the heavenly kingdom, on which his heart was set."^[18]
4. By tradition he was born in Bordeaux and became a monk in France but became a prisoner of the Saracens and was taken to Spain. He managed to escape and settled as a hermit in the valley of Nocito in the Pyrenees near Huesca.
5. The Monk Nektarii of Bitel'sk. HOLY TRINITY RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH (A parish of the Patriarchate of Moscow).
6. Saint Jonah of Pechenga and Kola was, as tradition tells us, a priest in the city of Kola. After the death of his daughter and wife he went off to the Pechenga-Trinity Monastery near Kola, and became a disciple of its founder, St. Tryphon. After the death of his teacher, he settled in 1583 at the site of what was to become his grave in the neighboring Dormition wilderness, where he was killed by the Swedes in the year 1590.
7. See: (in Russian) Иона Печенгский. Википедии. (Russian Wikipedia).
8. "On 15 December 1997, the Orthodox Church of Ukraine decreed that he should be numbered among the Saints. However in the absence of unanimity with regard to the ecclesiastical policy and the teaching of Metropolitan Peter Moghila, we have included his memory only provisionally in the Synaxarion".^[26]

References

1. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek): Ὁ Ἅγιος Ἐλευθέριος. 15 Δεκεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
2. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek): Ἡ Ἁγία Ἀνθία ἡ Μάρτυς. 15 Δεκεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
3. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek): Ὁ Ἅγιος Κοράμων ὁ Μάρτυρας ὁ Ἔπαρχος. 15 Δεκεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
4. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek): Οἱ Ἅγιοι Δύο Δήμιοι Μάρτυρες. 15 Δεκεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
5. Hieromartyr Eleutherius the Bishop of Illyria, and His Mother. OCA - Feasts and Saints.
6. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek): Ὁ Ἅγιος Ἐλευθέριος ὁ Κουβικουλάριος. 15 Δεκεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
7. Martyr Eleutherius at Constantinople. OCA - Feasts and Saints.
8. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek): Ἡ Ἁγία Σωσάννη. 15 Δεκεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
9. December 15/28. Orthodox Calendar (PRAVOSLAVIE.RU).
10. Venerable Pardus the Hermit, of Palestine. OCA - Feasts and Saints.
11. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek): Ὁ Ἅγιος Στέφανος Ἀρχιεπίσκοπος Σουρόζας (Ρῶσος). 15 Δεκεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
12. St Stephen the Confessor the Archbishop of Surozha in the Crimea. OCA - Feasts and Saints.
13. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek): Ὁ Ἅγιος Βάκχος ὁ Νέος. 15 Δεκεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
14. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek): Ὁ Ὅσιος Παῦλος ὁ νέος ὁ ἀσκητής. 15 Δεκεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
15. Venerable Paul of Latros. OCA - Feasts and Saints.
16. December 15. Latin Saints of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Rome.
17. The Roman Martyrology. Transl. by the Archbishop of Baltimore. Last Edition, According to the Copy Printed at Rome in 1914. Revised Edition, with the Imprimatur of His Eminence Cardinal Gibbons. Baltimore: John Murphy Company, 1916. p.385
18. Rev. Richard Stanton. A Menology of England and Wales, or, Brief Memorials of the Ancient British and English Saints Arranged According to the Calendar, Together with the Martyrs of the 16th and 17th Centuries. London: Burns & Oates, 1892. pp.600-601.
19. St Nectarius of Bitel. OCA - Feasts and Saints.
20. Venerable Tryphon the Abbot of Pechenga (Kolsk). OCA - Feasts and Saints.
21. Hieromartyr Hilarion, Archbishop of Vereiya. OCA - Feasts and Saints.
22. The Autonomous Orthodox Metropolia of Western Europe and the Americas (ROCOR). St. Hilarion Calendar of Saints for the year of our Lord 2004. St. Hilarion Press (Austin, TX). p.93.
23. (in Russian) 15 декабря (ст.ст.) 28 декабря 2013 (нов. ст.). Русская Православная Церковь Отдел внешних церковных связей. (DECR).
24. December 28 / December 15. HOLY TRINITY RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH (A parish of the Patriarchate of Moscow).
25. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek): Μνήμη Χειροτονίας Ἁγίου Ἰωάννου τοῦ Χρυσοστόμου. 15 Δεκεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
26. Hieromonk Makarios of Simonos Petra (Ed.). THE SYNAXARION: The Lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church: VOLUME TWO - November, December. Transl. from the French by Christopher Hookway. Holy Convent of the Annunciation of Our Lady, Ormylia (Chalkidike), 1999. pp. 432-434.

Sources

• December 15/28. Orthodox Calendar (PRAVOSLAVIE.RU).
• December 28 / December 15. HOLY TRINITY RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH (A parish of the Patriarchate of Moscow).
• December 15. OCA - The Lives of the Saints.
• The Autonomous Orthodox Metropolia of Western Europe and the Americas (ROCOR). St. Hilarion Calendar of Saints for the year of our Lord 2004. St. Hilarion Press (Austin, TX). p. 93.
• December 15. Latin Saints of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Rome.
• The Roman Martyrology. Transl. by the Archbishop of Baltimore. Last Edition, According to the Copy Printed at Rome in 1914. Revised Edition, with the Imprimatur of His Eminence Cardinal Gibbons. Baltimore: John Murphy Company, 1916.

Greek Sources

• Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek) 15 ΔΕΚΕΜΒΡΙΟΥ. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
• (in Greek) Συναξαριστής. 15 Δεκεμβρίου. ECCLESIA.GR. (H ΕΚΚΛΗΣΙΑ ΤΗΣ ΕΛΛΑΔΟΣ).

Russian Sources

• (in Russian) 28 декабря (15 декабря). Православная Энциклопедия под редакцией Патриарха Московского и всея Руси Кирилла (электронная версия). (Orthodox Encyclopedia - Pravenc.ru).
• (in Russian) 15 декабря (ст.ст.) 28 декабря 2013 (нов. ст.). Русская Православная Церковь Отдел внешних церковных связей. (DECR).