September 17 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)

The Eastern Orthodox cross

September 16 - Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar - September 18

All fixed commemorations below celebrated on September 30 by Eastern Orthodox Churches on the Old Calendar.^{[note 1]}

For September 17th, Orthodox Churches on the Old Calendar commemorate the Saints listed on September 4.

Saints

• Hieromartyrs Heraclides and Myron, Bishops of Tamassos in Cyprus (1st century)^{[1][2][3][note 2]}
• Martyrs Sophia and her three daughters Faith (Vera), Hope (Nadezhda), and Love (Lyubov), at Rome (c. 137)^{[1][3][4][5][note 3]}
• Martyr Agathocleia (230)^{[1][3][6][7][note 4][note 5]}
• Martyr Theodota of Cappadocia, at Nicaea (230)^[1][9][10]
• Martyrs Lucy and her son Geminian of Rome (303)^[1][3][11]
• 156 Martyrs of Palestine, including (310):^{[1][12][13][14]}

• Peleus and Nilus, Bishops of Egypt;^[15][16]
• Zeno, Priest;
• Patermuthius and Elias, noblemen, by fire.^[17]

• Martyrs Maximus, Theodotus and Asclepiodotus, of Marcianopolis in Thrace.^[3][18] (see also: September 15)
• Saints Charalampus and Pantelon, and companions.^{[3][19][20][note 6]}

Pre-Schism Western saints

• Saint Flocellus, a youth martyred in Autun in France under the Emperor Marcus Aurelius (161-180)^{[21][note 7][note 8]}
• Saint Justin the Confessor, a priest in Rome who devoted himself to burying the bodies of martyrs and was eventually martyred himself (259)^{[21][note 9]}
• Saints Narcissus and Crescendo, early martyrs in Rome (c. 260)^[8][21]
• Saints Socrates and Stephen, by tradition early martyrs venerated in Britain, now England.^{[8][21][22][note 10]}
• Saint Theodora, a noble lady of Rome devoted to the service of the martyrs during the persecution of Diocletian (c. 305)^{[21][note 11]}
• Saint Satyrus of Milan, elder brother of St Ambrose of Milan in Italy (376)^{[21][note 12][note 13]}
• Saint Rodingus (Rouin), a monk and priest from Ireland who preached in Germany and entered the monastery of Tholey near Trier (c. 690)^{[21][note 14]}
• Hieromartyr Lambert of Maastricht, Bishop of Maastricht (704)^{[1][21][22][note 15][note 16]}
• Saint Columba, a nun at Tábanos, martyred in Cordoba in Spain for rejecting Islam (853)^{[8][21][note 17]}
• Saint Unni (Uni, Unno, Huno), a monk at New Corvey in Germany, who became Bishop of Bremen-Hamburg in 917 (936)^{[21][note 18]}

Post-Schism Orthodox saints

• Saint Euxiphius of Cyprus, monk (12th century)^{[1][3][24][note 19]}
• Venerable Anastasius of Perioteron, in Cyprus, Wonderworker (12th century)^[1][3][25]
• Saint Joachim I, Patriarch of Alexandria (1567)^{[1][22][26][27]}
• Saint Innocent, Archimandrite, of Glinsk Hermitage (1888)^[1]
• Saint Dionisie Erhan of Ismail and Cetatea Alba (1934-1943), in the Metropolis of Bessarabia (1943)^{[28][29][30][31][note 20][note 21]}

New martyrs and confessors

• New Hieromartyrs of the St. Nicholas Koryazha Monastery, Arkhangelsk (1918):^{[1][22][27][33][note 22]}

• Paul (Moiseyev) and Theodosius (Sobolev), Archimandrites;
• Nicodemus (Shchapkov) and Seraphim (Kulakov), Hieromonks.

• Virgin-martyr Irene Frolov (1931)^[22][27][34]
• Martyr John Korotkov (1941)^[22][27][35]
• Virgin-martyr Alexandra Hvorostyannikova (1943)^[22][27][33]

Other commemorations

• Icon of the Mother of God of Constantinople ("Tsaregrad") (1071)^{[27][33][36][note 23][note 24]}
• Icon of the Mother of God of Macariev ("Directress") (1442)^{[27][33][38][note 25]}
• Repose of Blessed Agapitus (1825), disciple of St. Tikhon of Zadonsk.^[1]
• Repose of lay recluse Matthew of St. Petersburg (1904)^[1]

Icon gallery

• 
  Martyrs Sophia and her three daughters Faith, Hope, and Love.
• 
  Martyrs Sophia and her three daughters Faith, Hope, and Love.
• 
  Martyr Agathocleia.
• 
  Martyrs Lucy and her son Geminian of Rome.
• 
  Martyrdom of St. Lambert of Maastricht.
• 
  Patriarch Joachim I sending ambassadors to Tsar Ivan IV.
• 
  St. Dionisie Erhan of Ismail and Cetatea Alba.

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. Heraclides was the son of a pagan priest and lived in the village Lambadistis, in Cyprus. His father, although a pagan, was hospitable and did not hesitate to accommodate the Apostle Paul together with Barnabas and Mark when they came to Cyprus. The Apostles led Heraclides in the footsteps of Christ, and he in turn, led his parents. Saint Paul appointed him Bishop of Tamassos in Cyprus. Heraclides worked with great zeal along with his disciple Myron, for the dissemination of Christianity with impressive results, and many pagans believed in Christ. His successes however agitated the unbelievers, who killed them by burning them alive.^[3]
3. Name days celebrated today include:
   • Sophia (Σοφία);
   • Elpida, Nadezhda, Nadia (Ἐλπίδα);
   • Agape, Lyubov, Luba (Ἀγάπη).
4. "The same day, St. Agathoclia, servant of an infidel woman, who was for a long time subjected by her to blows and other afflictions, that she might deny Christ. She was finally presented to the judge and cruelly lacerated, and as she persisted in confessing the faith, they cut off her tongue and threw her into the flames."^[8]
5. Name days celebrated today include:
   • Agathocleia (Ἀγαθόκλεια);
   • Agathocles (Ἀγαθοκλής).
6. Their Synaxis is celebrated a second time.

   Hymn (in Greek):^[20]

   Χαίρων ὑπῆρχε πρὸς σφαγὴν Χαραλάμπης,

   Καὶ Παντολέων πρὸς μάχαιραν ἦν λέων.

7. After being tortured, he was flung half-dead to the wild beasts in the amphitheatre.
8. "At Autun, under the emperor Antoninus and the governor Valerian, St. Flocellus, a boy, who, after many sufferings, was torn to pieces by wild beasts, and thus won the crown of martyrs."^[8]
9. "At Rome, on the road to Tivoli, the birthday of St. Justin, priest and martyr, who distinguished himself by a glorious confession of the faith, during the persecution of Valerian and Gallienus. He buried the bodies of the blessed pontiff, Xystus, of Lawrence, Hippolytus, and many other saints, and finally consummated his martyrdom under Claudius."^[8] His relics were later transferred to Frisingen in Germany.
10. "All the ancient and modern martyrologies commemorate on this day the martyrdom of Stephen and Socrates, as having taken place in Britain. We have no record of their history, but it is conjectured that they suffered in the persecution of Diocletian, and about the same time with St. Alban, as it is known that many of both sexes then sacrificed their lives for the Faith. The scene of their passion was probably in Monmouthshire or South Wales, as churches were dedicated to them in that district."^[23]
11. "At Rome, in the persecution of Diocletian, St. Theodora, a matron, who carefully ministered to the martyrs."^[8]
12. As a lawyer he undertook the administration of the affairs of his brother's household. His high sense of justice, his integrity and his generosity were praised by St Ambrose in his funeral sermon for him.
13. "At Milan, the departure from this world of St. Satyrus, confessor, whose distinguished merits are mentioned by his brother, St. Ambrose."^[8]
14. He moved to the Forest of Argonne in France where he founded the monastery of Wasloi, later known as Beaulieu.
15. Born in Maastricht in Netherlands, he became bishop there in 668, but in 674 he was driven out by the tyrant Ebroin. He then lived as a monk for seven years at the monastery of Stavelot in Belgium. He returned later and did much to help St Willibrord. He was murdered in the then village of Liège and is venerated as a martyr.
16. "At Liege, blessed Lambert, bishop of Maestricht. Having, through zeal for religion, rebuked the royal family, he was undeservedly put to death by the guilty, and thus entered the court of the heavenly kingdom, to enjoy it forever."^[8]
17. Born in Cordoba and a nun at Tábanos, she was driven from there by the Moorish persecution of 852. She took refuge in Cordoba in Spain, where, being called on to deny Christ, she openly rejected Mohammed and was beheaded.
18. He helped enlighten Sweden and Denmark and reposed in Birka in Sweden. Unni is revered as third Apostle of the North, after Ansgar and Rimbert of Turholt.
19. His memory is noted in the "Small Euchologion or Agiasmatarion", published by Apostoliki Diakonia in 1956, without any other references. His memory is not recorded anywhere else. He may be confused with the Saint that is commemorated on February 17 - St. Euxiphius I, Bishop and Wonderworker, who is listed in some synaxaria as one of the "300 Allemagne Saints" in Cyprus (late 12th century).
20. (in Romanian) "A fost aprobată solicitarea Sinodului mitropolitan al Mitropoliei Basarabiei de canonizare a Episcopului Dionisie Erhan al Cetății Albe-Ismail (1934-1943). Sfântul Ierarh Dionisie, Episcopul Cetății Albe-Ismail, va fi înscris în Calendarul Bisericii Ortodoxe Române și prăznuit anual în ziua de 17 septembrie."^[30]
    • See: (in Romanian) Dionisie Erhan. Wikipedia. (Romanian Wikipedia).
21. During the consolidation works at Suruceni Monastery on July 10, 2018, the body of Bishop Dionisie Erhan was found to be incorrupt.^[32]
22. See: (in Russian) Коряжемский Николаевский монастырь. Википедии. (Russian Wikipedia).
23. The Constantinople Icon commemorated today is probably the prototype of another Constantinople Icon (April 25) venerated at Moscow’s Dormition church on Malaya Dimitrovka.
24. "The locally honored Constantinople Icon of the Mother God is found in the Old Rus Cathedral (Novgorod Diocese). The icon by measurement is 2 diuma (2 inches), and was beaten out on a slate board. According to tradition, in ancient times two monks from Constantinople, passing through Old Rus, attended the liturgy in the Cathedral and left this icon there as a memorial. A great many believers streamed to this holy icon and took the water consecrated by immersing the holy icon in it, with the hope of healing sick babies."^[37]
25. "The Makar'ev "Hodegetria" ("Way-Guide") Icon of the Mother of God appeared during the reign of prince Vasilii Vasil'evich the Dark (1425-1462) to the Monk Makarii the Wonderworker, who asceticised on the desolate shores of the River Unzha. On 17 September 1442 at about the third hour of the morning, when the Monk Makarii was finishing his usual morning akathist song to the Most Holy Mother of God, his cell was illumined suddenly by an unknown light. The monk became confused in spirit and began fervently to pray. Beyond the cell walls he heard the angelic refrain: "Hail, Thou Full of Grace, O Mother Unwedded!" With fear and astonishment the monk went out from his cell and on the northwest horizon he saw the icon of the Mother of God, surrounded by a luminous radiance. The icon approached towards the cell of the ascetic. With joyful trembling the monk fell to the ground and cried out: "Hail, Mother of God! Hail, Thou Ever-Flowing Fount issuing salvation to all the world and assuring protection and intercession to all the Galich land!" He reverently took up the icon and placed it in his cell, whereby it also came to be named the "Cell-Icon". Afterwards the disciples of the monk gave it the title of "Makar'ev". On the place of the appearance of the holy icon was founded a monastery, likewise named Makar'ev. From the Makar'ev Icon of the Mother of God there were made copies, which became reknown(sic) just like the original."^[39]

References

1. September 17/September 30. Orthodox Calendar (PRAVOSLAVIE.RU).
2. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek) Οἱ Ἅγιοι Ἡρακλείδης καὶ Μύρων Ἐπίσκοποι Ταμάσου τῆς Κύπρου. 17 Σεπτεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
3. (in Greek) Συναξαριστής. 17 Σεπτεμβρίου. ECCLESIA.GR. (H ΕΚΚΛΗΣΙΑ ΤΗΣ ΕΛΛΑΔΟΣ).
4. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek) Οἱ Ἁγίες Σοφία, Πίστη, Ἐλπίδα καὶ Ἀγάπη. 17 Σεπτεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
5. Martyr Sophia and her three daughters at Rome. OCA - Lives of the Saints.
6. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek) Ἡ Ἁγία Ἀγαθόκλεια. 17 Σεπτεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
7. Martyr Agathocleia. OCA - Lives of the Saints.
8. 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. 286–288.
9. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek) Ἡ Ἁγία Θεοδότη ἡ Μάρτυς. 17 Σεπτεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
10. Martyr Theodota at Nicea. OCA - Lives of the Saints.
11. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek) Οἱ Ἅγιοι Λουκία καὶ Γεμινιανὸς. 17 Σεπτεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
12. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek) Οἱ Ἅγιοι 100 Μάρτυρες οἱ Αἰγύπτιοι. 17 Σεπτεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
13. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek) Οἱ Ἅγιοι 50 Μάρτυρες ἀπὸ τὴν Παλαιστίνη. 17 Σεπτεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
14. 156 Martyrs in Palestine. OCA - Lives of the Saints.
15. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek) Οἱ Ἅγιοι Πηλέας καὶ Νεῖλος οἱ Ἱερομάρτυρες καὶ Ἐπίσκοποι. 17 Σεπτεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
16. Martyr Peleus the Bishop of Palestine. OCA - Lives of the Saints.
17. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek) Οἱ Ἅγιοι Πατερμούθιος καὶ Ἠλίας οἱ ἔνδοξοι. 17 Σεπτεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
18. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek) Οἱ Ἅγιοι Μάξιμος, Θεόδοτος καὶ Ἀσκληπιοδότη οἱ Μάρτυρες. 17 Σεπτεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
19. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek) Οἱ Ἅγιοι Χαράλαμπος καὶ Παντολέων καὶ ἡ συνοδεία τους. 17 Σεπτεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
20. (in Greek) Άγιοι Χαράλαμπος, Παντολέων και η συνοδεία τους. Ορθόδοξος Συναξαριστής.
21. September 17. Latin Saints of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Rome.
22. September 30 / September 17. HOLY TRINITY RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH (A parish of the Patriarchate of Moscow).
23. 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. 451.
24. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek) Ὁ Ἅγιος Εὐξίφιος. 17 Σεπτεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
25. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek) Ὁ Ὅσιος Ἀναστάσιος ὁ Θαυματουργός ὁ ἐν Κύπρῳ. 17 Σεπτεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
26. (in Greek) Άγιος Ιωακείμ Α' ο Πάνυ Πατριάρχης Αλεξανδρείας. Ορθόδοξος Συναξαριστής.
27. (in Russian) 17 сентября по старому стилю / 30 сентября по новому стилю. Русская Православная Церковь - Православный церковный календарь на 2025 год.
28. ROMANIAN CHURCH CELEBRATES CANONIZATION OF 20TH-CENTURY BESSARABIAN BISHOP DIONYSIUS ERHAN. Orthodox Christianity. Bucharest, October 28, 2019.
29. Romanian Patriarchate sets date for sainthood ceremony for Bishop Dionysius Erhan. The Orthodox World. SEPTEMBER 20, 2019.
30. (in Romanian) Gheorghe Anghel. Ce hotărâri au adoptat ierarhii români reuniți în sinod?. BASILICA.RO. 25.10.2018.
31. ROMANIAN HOLY SYNOD CALLS FOR MOSCOW AND CONSTANTINOPLE TO RESOLVE UKRAINIAN ISSUE TOGETHER, HIGHLIGHTS PAN-ORTHODOX COOPERATION. Orthodox Christianity. Bucharest, October 26, 2018.
32. Aurelian Iftimiu. Metropolis of Bessarabia coming to promote the canonization of Ismail bishop Dionisie Erhan. BASILICA.RO. 13.09.2018.
33. (in Russian) 30 сентября (17 сентября). Православная Энциклопедия под редакцией Патриарха Московского и всея Руси Кирилла (электронная версия). (Orthodox Encyclopedia - Pravenc.ru).
34. (in Russian) ИРИНА. Православная Энциклопедия под редакцией Патриарха Московского и всея Руси Кирилла (электронная версия). (Orthodox Encyclopedia - Pravenc.ru).
35. (in Russian) ИОАНН. Православная Энциклопедия под редакцией Патриарха Московского и всея Руси Кирилла (электронная версия). (Orthodox Encyclopedia - Pravenc.ru).
36. Icon of the Mother of God of Constantinople. OCA - Lives of the Saints.
37. "Tsaregrad" (Constantinople) (1071) Icon of the Mother of God. HOLY TRINITY RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH (A parish of the Patriarchate of Moscow).
38. Icon of the Mother of God of Macariev. OCA - Lives of the Saints.
39. The Makar'ev "Hodegetria" ("Way-Guide") Icon of the Mother of God. HOLY TRINITY RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH (A parish of the Patriarchate of Moscow).

Sources

• September 17/September 30. Orthodox Calendar (PRAVOSLAVIE.RU).
• September 30 / September 17. HOLY TRINITY RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH (A parish of the Patriarchate of Moscow).
• September 17. 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. 69.
• The Seventeenth Day of the Month of September. Orthodoxy in China.
• September 17. 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. 286–288.
• 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. 451.

Greek Sources

• Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek) 17 ΣΕΠΤΕΜΒΡΙΟΥ. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
• (in Greek) Συναξαριστής. 17 Σεπτεμβρίου. ECCLESIA.GR. (H ΕΚΚΛΗΣΙΑ ΤΗΣ ΕΛΛΑΔΟΣ).
• (in Greek) 17/09/2025. Ορθόδοξος Συναξαριστής.

Russian Sources

• (in Russian) 30 сентября (17 сентября). Православная Энциклопедия под редакцией Патриарха Московского и всея Руси Кирилла (электронная версия). (Orthodox Encyclopedia - Pravenc.ru).
• (in Russian) 17 сентября по старому стилю / 30 сентября по новому стилю. Русская Православная Церковь - Православный церковный календарь на 2025 год.