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The Synaxarium, Sydney (2026)

02/03/2024

On March 3 we also celebrate our Venerable Father Winwaloe of Landévennec. Saint Winwaloe (or Guenole) was the son of Fragan (or Fracan), a prince of Dumnonia, and his wife Gwen Teirbron, who had fled to Brittany to avoid the plague.

Winwaloe was born about 460, apparently at Plouguin, near Saint-Pabu, where his supposed place of birth, a feudal hillock, can still be seen. Winwaloe grew up in Ploufragan near Saint-Brieuc with his brother Wethenoc, and his brother Jacut. They were later joined by a sister, Creirwy, and still later by half-brother Cadfan. He was educated by Budoc of Dol on Lavret island in the Bréhat archipelago near Paimpol.

As a young man Winwaloe conceived a wish to visit Ireland to see the remains of Saint Patrick, who had just died. However, the saint appeared to him in a dream to say that it would be better to remain in Brittany and found an abbey. So, with eleven of Budoc’s other disciples, he set up a small monastery on the Île de Tibidy, at the mouth of the Faou. However it was so inhospitable that after three years, he miraculously opened a passage through the sea to found another abbey on the opposite bank of the Landévennec estuary. Saint Winwaloe died at his monastery on 3 March 532. May he intercede for us always +

Source: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winwaloe

02/03/2024

On March 3 we also celebrate the Holy Martyrs Eutropius, Cleonicus and Basiliscus. These Martyrs, who were from Amasia, were fellow soldiers and kinsmen of Saint Theodore the Tyro (see Feb. 17). They were betrayed to the Governor Asclepiodotus as Christians, during the reign of Diocletian (284-305). After many torments, Eutropius and Cleonicus were crucified; Basiliscus was not slain together with them, but was shut up in prison, in the hope that with time he might change his mind and sacrifice to the idols. He was beheaded on May 22; see also the account on that day. May they intercede for us always +

Source: https://www.goarch.org/chapel/saints?contentid=448

02/03/2024

On March 3 we celebrate the Venerable Piama the Virgin. Saint Piama lived in asceticism not far from Alexandria. She lived in the home of her mother, as in a hermitage. She partook of food at the end of the day, and after prayer she spun flax.

Saint Piama was granted the gift of discernment. The people of a more populous village, blinded with greed, planned to destroy the small village of the holy maiden in order to divert water to their own fields when the Nile overflowed its banks. Saint Piama saw their wicked intent and reported it to the village elders. The startled elders fell on their knees before the saint, imploring her to go to the neighboring people and dissuade them from their evil purpose.

The nun Piama did not go to meet them, since for a long time she shunned contact with people. The saint spent all night at prayer, and in the morning the people of the neighboring village armed themselves and set off for the village of the holy maiden. Suddenly, they froze in their tracks and were not able to proceed farther. The Lord revealed to the impious people that the prayer of Saint Piama held them back. The people came to their senses and repented of their wicked intent. They sent messengers to the village with a request for peace and said, “Thanks be to God, Who through the prayers of the maiden Piama has delivered us.” The saint peacefully fell asleep in the Lord in the year 337. May she intercede for us always +
Source: https://www.oca.org/saints/lives/2020/03/03/100645-virginmartyr-piama

01/03/2024

On March 2 we also celebrate the Holy Virgin Martyr Euthalia of Sicily. Saint Euthalia lived with her mother and brother in Leontina on the island of Sicily. Euthalia’s mother, a pagan, suffered for a long while with an issue of blood. Once, the Martyrs Alphaeus, Philadelphus and Cyprian (May 10) appeared to her in a dream and told her she would be healed only if she believed in Christ and was baptized.

After being baptized with her daughter, she was healed of her infirmity. When Euthalia’s pagan brother Sirmianus learned of the baptism, went into a violent rage. The mother succeeded in fleeing, but Saint Euthalia confessed herself a Christian and suffered martyrdom. After fierce tortures, the saint was beheaded with a sword. May she intercede for us always +

Source: https://www.oca.org/saints/lives/2024/03/02/100636-virgin-martyr-euthalia-of-sicily

01/03/2024

On March 2 we also celebrate our Venerable Father Joachim “Papoulakis” of Vatopedi. Saint Joachim was born in 1786 as Ioannis Patrikios to the devout parents, Angelos and Agne Patrikios, in the little village of Kalyvia of Ithaca in Greece. At a very early age, his mother passed away and his father remarried. His stepmother would be moved in jealousy towards the young child and it was well known that she mistreated him. This forced him at an early age to learn patience and he learnt to spend many hours hiding from her; reading the Holy Scriptures and praying at a small church near his home dedicated to St. Spyridon.

He joined the family business and worked for his father as a sailor. One one of his trips, he visited Mount Athos, where he became a monk and stayed at the Monastery of Vatopaedi taking on the name of “Joachim”.

In 1827, the saint returned to Ithaca and served the church there for the remainder of his life. He peacefully fell asleep in the Lord in Vathy of Ithaca on March 2, 1868. May he intercede for us always +

Source: https://orthodoxwiki.org/Joachim_of_Vatopaidi

01/03/2024

On March 2 we also celebrate our Venerable Father Chad of Mercia. One of four Northumbrian brothers who were ‘famous priests’, Saint Chad studied in Ireland and was a disciple of Saint Aidan. In 664 he succeeded his brother Cedd as abbot of Lastingham and was nominated to the see of Northumbria (his seat to be at York), by King Oswiu, retaliating to his son Alchfrith’s nomination of Wilfrid. Informed by Archbishop Theodore that his consecration (c.665), by Wine and two British bishops, was irregular, he resigned the see. He became bishop of the Mercians, the Middle Angles, and the people of Lindsey in 670, his seat at Lichfield. As bishop he emulated Aidan, but his scope may have been limited by the earlier work of an active British church. Chad founded a monastery, possibly at Barrow-on-Humber, on land from Wulfhere of Mercia. One of his monks, Trumbert, taught Bede. The 8th-cent. Gospels of St Chad were probably associated with his shrine. May he intercede for us always +

Source: https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/history/british-and-irish-history-biographies/saint-chad

01/03/2024

On March 2 we celebrate our Venerable Father Nicholas Planas of Athens. Papa Nicholas, as he was often called, was married and the father of one child. He was married at 17, but his wife died only a few years later, and so he spent the rest of his life in celibacy, his only aspiration being to serve the Church.

His focus for over 50 years was to serve daily the Divine Liturgy, vigils, and other services. He never missed a Liturgy and spent most of his time in the very small church of Church of St. John the Hunter in Athens, Greece. He never refused to commemorate and pray for anyone when he served, and he carried in his pockets slips of paper containing thousands of names whom he would pray for during the proskomedia and the Liturgy.

Numerous stories are told of his being lifted in prayer and of the acolytes seing him raised off the ground in front of the altar during the Liturgy. While he would begin Liturgy at eight in the morning, he typically would not finish until two or three in the afternoon.

He was famously absent-minded and was also well known for giving to the poor anything that anyone might give him. He was not an educated man but was considered immensely enlightened, an example of great holiness and humility. He reposed in February 1932. May he intercede for us always +

Source: https://orthodoxwiki.org/Papa-Nicholas_(Planas)_of_Athens

29/02/2024

On March 1 we also celebrate the Holy New Monastic Martyr Agapius of Vatopedi. Saint Agapius was a novice in obedience to a virtuous Elder who lived in silence at the Holy Trinity kellia at Kolitsa, within the boundaries of Vatopedi on Mt. Athos. He was taken into captivity by Turks who had landed on the shore of Athos. They took him to Magnesia and there he worked in chains for twelve years. But he did not lose hope for freedom and fervently he prayed to the Mother of God to free him from this bitter captivity.

The Queen of Heaven manifested Her Mercy to the patient sufferer. She appeared to him in a dream and ordered him “to go to his Elder without fear.” When he awoke, he saw that he was free of his bonds, and the doors were open. Without hindrance, Saint Agapius departed from his master and returned to Mount Athos.

The Elder grieved when he saw his novice, for he thought that Agapius had secretly escaped from his master. “You have deceived the Hagarene,” he said, “but no one can deceive God. If you wish to save yourself, return to your master and serve him.” Saint Agapius returned to his master without complaint.

The Moslem was amazed to see Agapius after he had escaped. Hearing the story of what had happened, he was struck by the virtue of Agapius’ Elder and the loftiness of the Christian Faith. The master and his two sons went to the Holy Mountain with Saint Agapius. There they were baptized and became monks, living in asceticism for the rest of their lives. Saint Agapius lived in the thirteenth century. May he intercede for us always +

Source: https://www.oca.org/saints/lives/2024/03/01/100633-venerable-agapius-of-vatopedi

29/02/2024

On March 1 we also celebrate the Holy Hierarch David of Wales. Saint David is said to have been the son of a Welsh chieftain, lived in the latter half of the sixth century. Ordained to the priesthood, he studied under the tutorship of a disciple of Saint Germanus, who later became Bishop of the Isle of Man, and engaged in missionary work and the building of churches in many places. Eventually, he settled in the southwest corner of Wales, at Menevia. There he founded a monastery known for its extreme austerity, in imitation of the desert fathers. Eventually he was consecrated Bishop of the primatial See of Wales, Menevia, afterwards known as Saint David’s in his honor. He reposed in the Lord about the year 601 AD and, through the years, has been venerated as one of the greatest and most beloved saints of the British Isles.

Source: https://www.oca.org/saints/lives/2022/03/01/103905-saint-david-bishop-of-wales

29/02/2024

On March 1 we also celebrate our Venerable Mother Domnina of Syria. The Life of Saint Domnina the Younger was written by Theodoret of Cyrrhus in his Historia Religiosa (English title: A History of the Monks of Syria), containing the Lives of thirty ascetics.

The holy virgin Domina was born in the city of Cyrrhus in Syria, to pious and God-loving parents. From a young age she envied the life of the holy ascetics and emulated Saint Maron († February 14) by building a shack in a corner of her mother’s garden. Her only food was lentils soaked in water. Early in the morning, and again at night, she went to the church, in order to pray and glorify the name of God. She always covered herself with a cloak so that no one would see her face. Theodoret says she spoke “softly and indistinctly, and her words were always accompanied by tears.”

After a long life of austere asceticism, the Venerable Domnina reposed in peace around the year 460. May she intercede for us always +

Source: https://www.oca.org/saints/lives/2024/03/01/100632-saint-domnina-the-younger-of-syria

29/02/2024

On March 1 we also celebrate the Holy Martyr Antonina of Nicea. Saint Antonina suffered at Nicea during a persecution under the emperor Maximian (284-305). After fierce tortures, Saint Antonina was thrown into prison, but Maximian could not force the saint to renounce Christ and offer sacrifice to idols.

Angels of God appeared to the holy martyr and the executioners took fright. Even when they placed her on a red-hot metal bed, Saint Antonina remained unharmed, by the power of God. Finally, after long torture they sewed the saint into a sack and sank it in a lake. May she intercede for us always +

Source: https://www.oca.org/saints/lives/2024/03/01/100629-martyr-antonina-of-nicea-in-bithynia

29/02/2024

On March 1 we celebrate the Venerable Nun Martyr Eudocia the Samaritan. Saint Eudocia was a pagan who led a sinful life of all earthly pleasures and debauchery. She one day, however, heard a monk in the house next door to hers reading from the scriptures about the coming Judgment and Christ’s love and forgiveness of all who repent. These words pierced her soul and she approached the monk and asked him to instruct her more in the Christian life. She soon sold all her possessions and joined a convent as a nun. One day, one of her former lovers came to the monastery, begging her to return to her former life, but she reproved him and he was struck down dead by an invisible force. Out of pity, she prayed to the Lord to resurrect the man and he returned to life. During her life there was a great persecution of Christians, of which Eudocia suffered greatly and was eventually beheaded. May she intercede for us always +

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