February 26 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)

February 25 - Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar - February 27

An Eastern Orthodox cross

All fixed commemorations below are observed on March 11 (March 10 on leap years) by Eastern Orthodox Churches on the Old Calendar.^{[note 1]}

For February 26th, Orthodox Churches on the Old Calendar commemorate the Saints listed on February 13.

Saints

• Martyr Photine (Photina), the Samaritan woman in the Gospel,^{[1][2][note 2]} and those with her, all martyred under Nero (66):^[3] (see also: March 20)

• her sisters: Phota, Photis, Parasceva, and Cyriaca (Kyriake);^[2][4]
• her sons: Victor Stratelates (or Photinus)^[2][5] and Joses (Joseph);^[6]
• Christodoulos;^[2][5]
• Sebastian the Duke,^[2][7][8]
• the officer Anatolius;^{[2][note 3]} and
• Theoclitus, the former sorcerer.^[2][9]

• Saint Porphyrius of Gaza, Bishop of Gaza (420)^{[2][3][10][11][12][note 4]}
• Saint Nicholas of "Katopinos".^{[2][14][note 5]}

Pre-Schism Western saints

• Saint Dionysius of Augsburg, venerated as the first Bishop of Augsburg in Germany (c. 303)^{[15][16][note 6]}
• Saint Faustinian, second Bishop of Bologna in Italy (4th century)^{[15][note 7][note 8]}
• Saint Andrew of Florence, Bishop of Florence and Confessor (c. 407)^[13][15]
• Saint Agricola, Bishop of Nevers in France (c. 594)^[15]
• Saint Victor, a hermit in Arcis-sur-Aube in Champagne in France (7th century)^[13][15]

Post-Schism Orthodox saints

• Venerable Sebastian of Poshekhonye, founder of Sokhotsk Monastery, Yaroslavl (1500)^[3][17][18] (see also: December 18)
• New Martyr John the Cabinetmaker (John Calphas, "the Apprentice"), by beheading, at Constantinople (1575)^{[2][3][19][20]}

New martyrs and confessors

• New Hieromartyr Peter Varlamov, Priest of Ufim (1930)^{[21][22][note 9]}
• New Hieromartyr Sergius Voskresensky, Priest (1933)^[21][22]
• Virgin-martyr Anna Blagoveshchensky (1937)^[23][22]
• New Hieromartyr John (Pashin), Bishop of Rylsk (Rila) (1938)^{[3][21][22][note 10]}
• New Hieromartyr John Dunaev, Priest (1938)^[21][22]

Other commemorations

• Synaxis of the Mezhetsk Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos at Kiev (1492)^[3][22][24]

Icon gallery

• 
  Saint Photine with Christ at Jacob's Well.
• 
  St. Porphyrius of Gaza, Bishop of Gaza.

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:

   • Photini (Φωτεινὴ);
   • Svetlana (Светлана).
3. Name days celebrated today include:

   • Anatolius, Anatole (Ἀνατολὴς).
4. "At Gaza, in Palestine, in the time of the emperor Arcadius, St. Porphyry, bishop, who overthrew the idol Marnas and its temple, and after many sufferings, went to rest in the Lord."^[13] Name days celebrated today include:

   • Porphyrios (Πορφύριος);
   • Porphyria (Πορφυρία).
5. His memory is referenced only in the Synaxarion of Delahaye.
6. By tradition he was baptised and later consecrated bishop by St Narcissus. He was martyred under Diocletian.
7. He reorganised his diocese and lived to be a firm defender of Orthodoxy against Arianism.
8. "At Bologna, the bishop St. Faustinian, whose preaching strengthened and multiplied the faithful of that Church, which had been much afflicted during the persecution of Diocletian."^[13]
9. See: Варламов, Пётр Яковлевич. Википедии. (Russian Wikipedia).
10. See: Иоанн (Пашин). Википедии. (Russian Wikipedia).

References

1. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek) Ἡ Ἁγία Φωτεινὴ ἡ Μεγαλομάρτυς ἡ Σαμαρείτιδα. 26 Φεβρουαρίου. Μεγασ Συναξαριστησ.
2. (in Greek) Συναξαριστής. 26 Φεβρουαρίου. Ecclesia.gr. (H Εκκλησια τησ Ελλαδοσ).
3. February 26 / March 11. Orthodox Calendar (Pravoslavie.ru).
4. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek) Οἱ Ἁγίες Φωτώ, Φῶτις, Παρασκευή, Κυριακὴ καὶ Ἀνατολὴ οἱ Μάρτυρες ἀδελφὲς τῆς Ἁγίας Φωτεινῆς. 26 Φεβρουαρίου. Μεγασ Συναξαριστησ.
5. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek) Οἱ Ἅγιοι Βίκτωρ καὶ Χριστόδουλος οἱ Μάρτυρες. 26 Φεβρουαρίου. Μεγασ Συναξαριστησ.
6. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek) Οἱ Ἅγιοι Ἰωσῆς καὶ Βίκτωρ οἱ Μάρτυρες υἱοὶ τῆς Ἁγίας Φωτεινῆς. 26 Φεβρουαρίου. Μεγασ Συναξαριστησ.
7. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek) Ὁ Ἅγιος Σεβαστιανὸς ὁ δοῦκας. 26 Φεβρουαρίου. Μεγασ Συναξαριστησ.
8. Martyr Sebastian. OCA - Lives of the Saints.
9. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek) Ὁ Ἅγιος Θεόκλητος ὁ Μάρτυρας ὁ φαρμακὸς. 26 Φεβρουαρίου. Μεγασ Συναξαριστησ.
10. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek) Ὁ Ἅγιος Πορφύριος Ἐπίσκοπος Γάζης. 26 Φεβρουαρίου. Μεγασ Συναξαριστησ.
11. St Porphyrius the Bishop of Gaza. OCA - Lives of the Saints.
12. Rev. Sabine Baring-Gould (M.A.). "S. Porphyrius, B. of Gaza (A.D. 421.)." In: The Lives of the Saints. Volume the Second: February. London: John C. Nimmo, 1897. p. 434-441.
13. 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. pp. 17-18.
14. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek) Ὁ Ἅγιος Νικόλαος ὁ Κατοπινός. 26 Φεβρουαρίου. Μεγασ Συναξαριστησ.
15. February 26. Latin Saints of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Rome.
16. Rev. Sabine Baring-Gould (M.A.). "S. DIONYSIUS, B. OF AUGSBURG, M. (A.D. 303.)." In: The Lives of the Saints. Volume the Second: February. London: John C. Nimmo, 1897. p. 432-433.
17. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek) Ὁ Ὅσιος Σεβαστιανὸς ἐκ Ρωσίας. 26 Φεβρουαρίου. Μεγασ Συναξαριστησ.
18. Venerable Sebastian of Poshekhonye. OCA - Lives of the Saints.
19. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek) Ὁ Ἅγιος Ἰωάννης ὁ Νεομάρτυρας ὁ Κάλφας. 26 Φεβρουαρίου. Μεγασ Συναξαριστησ.
20. New Martyr John Kalphes, the Apprentice. OCA - Lives of the Saints.
21. March 11 / February 26. Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Church (A parish of the Patriarchate of Moscow).
22. (in Russian) 26 февраля (ст.ст.) 11 марта 2014 (нов. ст.) Archived 2014-11-08 at the Wayback Machine. Русская Православная Церковь Отдел внешних церковных связей.
23. "Монастырь имени Крупской". Милосердие.ru (in Russian). 10 March 2021.
24. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek) Σύναξις Ὑπεραγίας Θεοτόκου ἐν Κιέβῳ Ρωσίας. 26 Φεβρουαρίου. Μεγασ Συναξαριστησ.

Sources

• February 26 / March 11. Orthodox Calendar (Pravoslavie.ru).
• March 11 / February 26. Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Church (A parish of the Patriarchate of Moscow).
• February 26. OCA - The Lives of the Saints.
• The Autonomous Orthodox Metropolia of Western Europe and the Americas. St. Hilarion Calendar of Saints for the year of our Lord 2004. St. Hilarion Press (Austin, TX). pp. 17-18.
• The Twenty-Sixth Day of the Month of February. Orthodoxy in China.
• February 26. 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. pp. 17-18.
• 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. p. 86.

Greek Sources

• Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek) 26 Φεβρουαρίου. Μεγασ Συναξαριστησ.
• (in Greek) Συναξαριστής. 26 Φεβρουαρίου. Ecclesia.gr. (H Εκκλησια τησ Ελλαδοσ).

Russian Sources

• (in Russian) 11 марта (26 февраля). Православная Энциклопедия под редакцией Патриарха Московского и всея Руси Кирилла (электронная версия). (Orthodox Encyclopedia - Pravenc.ru).
• (in Russian) 26 февраля (ст.ст.) 11 марта 2014 (нов. ст.) Archived 2014-11-08 at the Wayback Machine. Русская Православная Церковь Отдел внешних церковных связей.