December 23 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)

Feasts

• Forefeast of the Nativity of Christ.

  Saints

• Holy Ten Martyrs of Crete :
• * Theodulus, Saturninus, Euporus, Gelasius, Eunician, Zoticus, Pompeius, Agathopus, Basilides, and Evaristus.
• Martyr Schinon, by the sword.
• Saint Paul, Bishop of Neo-Caesarea, a father of the First Ecumenical Council
• Saint Niphon, Bishop of Constantia on Cyprus
• Saint Chrysogonos.
• Venerable David of Echmiadzin in Armenia
• Saint Naum of Ochrid, Enlightener of Bulgaria

  Pre-Schism Western saints

• Virgin-Martyrs Victoria and Anatolia, two sisters martyred in Rome for refusing to marry pagans
• Martyrs Migdonius and Mardonius, high officials at the imperial court in Rome, under Diocletian
• Saint Servulus, a righteous man who was a cripple, used to beg for alms at the door of the church of St Clement in Rome, sharing what he received with other beggars
• Saint Dagobert II, King of Austrasia in the east of France, was exiled to a monastery in 656, recalled in 675 and martyred by the tyrant Ebroin
• Saint Egbert of Rathmelsigi Abbey, who organised the mission to Frisia
• Saint Frithbert, successor of St Acca as Bishop of Hexham, where he served for thirty-four years
• Saint Mazota, leader of a group of nineteen holy virgins who went from Ireland to Scotland and founded a monastery at Abernethy on the Tay
• Saint Vintila, a monk who reposed as a hermit in Pugino in Galicia in Spain

  Post-Schism Orthodox saints

• Saint Theoctistus, Archbishop of Novgorod

  New martyrs and confessors

• New Hieromartyrs John Piankov and Nicholas Yakhontov, Priests
• New Hieromartyr Basil Spassky, Priest, at Tver
• New Hieromartyr Macarius, Hieromonk of Zavidovskaya Gorka
• New Hieromartyr John, Hieromonk of Bolshoye Mikhailovskoye
• New Hieromartyr Paul, Bishop of Starobelsk.

  Other commemorations

• Commemoration of the consecration and re-dedication of the Holy and Great Church of Christ, the Hagia Sophia, by Patriarch Eutychius
• Repose of Eldress Eudocia Rodionova of Leushino Monastery, Fool-for-Christ

  Icon gallery