# February 23 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)

February 22 - Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar - February 24
All fixed commemorations below are observed on March 8 (March 7 on leap years) by Eastern Orthodox Churches on the Old Calendar.
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)
* Holy 73 Martyrs of Sirmium, under Diocletian (303)
* Martyr Clement, by the sword.
* Martyr Thea, by the sword.
* Venerable Gorgonia the Righteous (370), sister of St. Gregory the Theologian.
* Saint Alexander, founder of the Monastery of the Unsleeping Ones, Constantinople (430) (see also: January 15, July 3)
* Saints John, Antioch, Antoninus, Moses, Zebinas, Polychronius, Moses (another), and Damian, ascetics near Cyrrhus in the Syrian desert (5th century)

## Pre-Schism Western saints

* Saint Martha, a virgin-martyr beheaded in Astorga in Spain under Decius (251)
* Saint Polycarp, a priest in Rome noted for ministering to those in prison for their faith (c. 300)
* 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).
* Saints Syncrotas, Antigonus, Rutilus, Libius, Senerotas and Rogatianus, martyrs at Sirmium in Pannonia (4th century)
* Saint Florentius of Seville, Confessor, a saint much venerated in Seville in Spain (c. 485)
* Saint Felix of Brescia, twentieth Bishop of Brescia (c. 650)
* Saint Jurmin, an East Anglian prince, son or nephew of King Anna of East Anglia (653)
* Saint Boswell (Boisil), Abbot of Melrose Abbey in Scotland (c. 661) (see also: February 24)
* Saint Mildburga (Milburgh), Abbess of Wenlock Priory (715)
* Saint Medrald (Mérald, Méraut), a monk at Saint-Evroult (Ebrulfus) of Ouche in France, who later became Abbot of Vendôme (c. 850)
* Saint Willigis, Archbishop of Mainz (1011)
* Peter Damian, Bishop, Confessor, and Doctor (d. 1072).
* Saint John Theristes ("the Harvester") of Stylos in Calabria (d. 1129) (see also: February 24 )

## Post-Schism Orthodox saints

* Venerable Damian of Esphigmenou Monastery, on Mount Athos (1280)
* Saint Cosmas of Zograf Monastery, Mount Athos (1281)
* Saint Moses of White Lake Monastery, monk (1480)
* New Monk-martyr Damian of Philotheou and Kissavos, at Larissa (1586)
* New Hieromartyr Lazarus of the Peloponnese (c. 1618)
* Venerable Polycarp of Bryansk, monk of Bryansk (1620-1621)
* Saint Nazarius, Abbot of Valaam Monastery (1809)
* Saint Seraphim (Zenobius), Schema-Metropolitan of Tetritskaro, Georgia, monk of Glinsk Monastery (1985)

### New martyrs and confessors

* New Hieromartyr Paul Kushnikov, Priest (1918)
* New Hieromartyr Michael Edlinsky, Archpriest, of Kiev (1937) (see also: November 17)
* New Hieromartyr Alexis Nikolsky, Priest (1938)
* New Hieromartyr Nicholas Dimitrov, Priest (1938)
* New Hieromartyr Michael Razhkin, Priest (1938)
* Martyr Sergius Borodavkin (1938)
* New Hieromartyr Sergius (Bukashkin), Hieromonk, of Novo-Alexandrovka, Moscow (1938)
* New Hieromartyr Antipas (Kyrillov), hieromonk, of Tatarintsevo, Moscow (1938)
* New Hieromartyr Philaret (Pryakhin), Abbot, of Trubino, Tver (1942)

## Other commemorations

* Repose of Archimandrite Agapit (Belovidov) of Optina Monastery (1922)
* Repose of Elder Sabbas (Stavrobouniotes) of Cyprus (1985)
* Uncovering of the relics (1998) of Blessed Matrona of Moscow (1952)

## Icon gallery

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