May 20 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)

May 19 - Eastern Orthodox Church calendar - May 21

The Eastern Orthodox cross

All fixed commemorations below celebrated on June 2 by Orthodox Churches on the Old Calendar.[note 1]

For May 20th, Orthodox Churches on the Old Calendar commemorate the Saints listed on May 7.

Saints

• Saint Lydia of Thyatira (Lydia of Philippi), mentioned in Acts 16:14-15 (1st century)[1][note 2]
• Martyrs Thalelaeus the Unmercenary, at Anazarbus in Cilicia, and his companions Alexander and Asterius (284)[2][3][note 3]
• Martyr Asclas of the Thebaid, Egypt (287)[4]
• Sts. Zabulon and Susanna, of Cappadocia and Jerusalem (parents of St. Nina (Nino), enlightener of Georgia), (4th century)[5]
• Saint Mark the Hermit (Marcus Eremita) (5th century)[6]
• Holy Martyrs of Mamilla, Jerusalem (614)[7]
• Saint Thalassius the Myrrh-gusher, of Libya (648)[8][note 4]
• Saints John, Joseph and Nicetas, monks of Nea Moni on Chios (c. 1050)[10]

Pre-Schism Western saints

• Saint Plautilla the Roman, martyr, (67)[3][11][note 5]
• Hieromartyr Baudelius, missionary in France and northern Spain, martyred in Nîmes (2nd or 3rd century)[3][12]
• Virgin-martyr Basilla (304)[3][13]
• Saint Hilary (Hilarius, Hilaire), Bishop of Toulouse in France (360)[13][14]
• Saint Anastasius, Bishop of Brescia in Lombardy, in Italy (610)[3][13][15][note 6]
• Saint Austregisilus (Aoustrille, Outrille), Bishop of Bourges and Confessor (624)[3][13][16]
• Saint Theodore of Pavia, Bishop of Pavia (778)[3][13][17]
• Saint Ethelbert (Albert, Albright), King of East Anglia in England, martyr (794)[13][18] (see also May 29)

Post-Schism Orthodox saints

• St. Daumantas (Timothy, Dovmont-Timothy), prince of Pskov (1299)[19][20]
• Saint Stephen, Abbot of Piperi in Serbia (1697)[21]

New martyrs and confessors

• New Hieromartyr Pavel Lazarev, martyred on the feast of Pentecost (1919)[22][23][note 7]
• Venerable Olympiada Verbetska, Igumenia of Kozelschansk women's monastery of the Nativity of the Mother of God (1938)[20][24][note 8]

Other commemorations

• Translation of the holy relics (1087) of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker (343)[26][note 9] (see also: May 9 - Slavonic)
• Uncovering of the relics (1431) of St. Alexis, Metropolitan of Moscow, Wonderworker (1378)[27]
• Repose of Schema-monk Cyriacus of Valaam (1798)[28]

Icon gallery

• 
  St. Lydia of Thyatira.
• 
  St. Marcus Eremita.
• 
  Church of St. Theodore of Pavia, in Pavia.
• 
  The martyred Anglo-Saxon king Æthelberht II of East Anglia (depiction of a brass plate from Hereford Cathedral).
• 
  St. Daumantas of Pskov.
• 
  St. Stephen of Piperi.
• 
  St. Alexius, Metropolitan of Moscow.

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. The Church honours Saint Lydia as "Equal-to-the-Apostles."[1]
3. It appears that certain monasteries honoured Saint Thalelaeus' feast day on September 3, and others on August 23, the day on which he was brought to trial.[2]
4. Not to be confused with Thalassius of Syria (February 22).[9]
5. Saint Plautilla is regarded as the mother of Saint Domitilla (May 12).
6. Saint Anastasius greatly contributed to the conversion of the Lombards from Arianism.
7. Red partisans took Fr. Pavel and interrogated him in the local elementary school. As a condition of his release, Fr. Pavel was asked to declare that he had deceived people with a made-up God and to publicly remove his cross and cassock. He firmly declared that he would never renounce God and that he was ready to accept death for his faith in Christ. Fr. Pavel was martyred on the feast of Pentecost, June 2, in 1919. Seriously wounded after being shot, he was left to die in the forest near Nikitovka.)[22]
8. She suffered martyrdom under communism on June 2, 1938.[25]
9. According to the Great Synaxaristes, the holy relics were taken from Myra in Lycia on April 1 1087, and arrived in Bari on May 20.

References

1. Ἡ Ἁγία Λυδία ἡ Φιλιππησία. 20 Μαΐου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
2. Ὁ Ἅγιος Θαλλέλαιος ὁ ἰατρός καὶ οἱ σὺν αὐτῷ μαρτυρήσαντες Ἀλέξανδρος καί Ἀστέριος. 20 Μαΐου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
3. May 20. The Roman Martyrology.
4. Ὁ Ἅγιος Ἀσκλᾶς ὁ Μάρτυρας. 20 Μαΐου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
5. Οἱ Ἅγιοι Ζαβουλών καὶ Σωσσάνη. 20 Μαΐου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
6. Ὁ Ὅσιος Μάρκος ὁ Ἐρημίτης. 20 Μαΐου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
7. Οἱ Ἅγιοι ἐν Μεμέλᾳ Ἱερουσαλήμ οἱ Μάρτυρες. 20 Μαΐου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
8. Ὁ Ὅσιος Θαλάσσιος ὁ Μυροβλύτης. 20 Μαΐου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
9. Οἱ Ὅσιοι Θαλάσσιος καὶ Λιμναῖος. 22 Φεβρουαρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
10. Οἱ Ὅσιοι Ἰωάννης, Ἰωσὴφ καὶ Νικήτας. 20 Μαΐου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
11. Ἡ Ἁγία Πλατίλλα ἡ Ρωμαία. 20 Μαΐου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
12. Ὁ Ἅγιος Βαυδέλιος ὁ Ἱερομάρτυρας. 20 Μαΐου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
13. May 20. Latin Saints of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Rome.
14. Ὁ Ἅγιος Ἱλάριος Ἐπίσκοπος Τουλούζης. 20 Μαΐου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
15. Ὁ Ἅγιος Ἀναστάσιος Ἐπίσκοπος Βρεσκίας. 20 Μαΐου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
16. Ὁ Ἅγιος Οὐλτρίλλος Ἐπίσκοπος Μπουργκές. 20 Μαΐου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
17. Ὁ Ἅγιος Θεόδωρος Ἐπίσκοπος Παβίας. 20 Μαΐου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
18. May 20/June 2. Orthodox Calendar (PRAVOSLAVIE.RU).
19. Ὁ Ἅγιος Τιμόθεος τοῦ Πσκώφ. 20 Μαΐου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
20. Dr. Alexander Roman. May. Calendar of Ukrainian Orthodox Saints (Ukrainian Orthodoxy - Українське Православ'я).
21. Ὁ Ὅσιος Στέφανος. 20 Μαΐου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
22. Russian Synod canonizes New Martyr Pavel Lazarev. Orthodox Christianity. Moscow, December 27, 2019.
23. (in Russian) Священника Павла Лазарева, убитого за отказ снять крест и рясу, прославили как новомученика. Журнал Фома. 27 декабря 2019.
24. Український Православний календар 2015. - Київ, Українська Православна Церква, 2014. - С. 61, 162.
25. Dr. Alexander Roman. More New Ukrainian Orthodox Saints. Ukrainian Saints (Ukrainian Orthodoxy - Українське Православ'я).
26. Μετακομιδὴ Τιμίων Λειψάνων Ἁγίου Νικολάου τοῦ Θαυματουργοῦ. 20 Μαΐου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
27. Ἀνακομιδὴ Τιμίων Λειψάνων Ὁσίου Ἀλεξίου τοῦ θαυματουργοῦ. 20 ΜΑΪΟΥ. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
28. Complete List of Saints. Protection of the Mother of God Church (POMOG).

Sources

• May 20/June 2. Orthodox Calendar (PRAVOSLAVIE.RU).
• Complete List of Saints. Protection of the Mother of God Church (POMOG)
• May 20. OCA - The Lives of the Saints.
• Dr. Alexander Roman. May. Calendar of Ukrainian Orthodox Saints (Ukrainian Orthodoxy - Українське Православ'я).
• May 20. Latin Saints of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Rome.
• May 20. The Roman Martyrology.

Greek Sources

• Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek) 20 ΜΑΪΟΥ. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
• (in Greek) Συναξαριστής. 20 Μαΐου. ECCLESIA.GR. (H ΕΚΚΛΗΣΙΑ ΤΗΣ ΕΛΛΑΔΟΣ).

Russian Sources

• (in Russian) 2 июня (20 мая). Православная Энциклопедия под редакцией Патриарха Московского и всея Руси Кирилла (электронная версия). (Orthodox Encyclopedia - Pravenc.ru).
• (in Russian) 20 мая (ст.ст.) 2 июня 2013 (нов. ст.). Русская Православная Церковь Отдел внешних церковных связей. (DECR).