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Martyr Kyriake of Nicomedia; Venerable Thomas of Mt. Maleon; Martyr Evangelicus the Bishop of Tomis

July 6, 2026 · 1 min read

Orthodox Calendar July 7 Martyr Kyriake of Nicomedia Saint Kyriake was the only child of Dorotheus and Eusebia. Since she was born on a Sunday (Kyriake, in Greek), she was named Kyriake.

One day a wealthy magistrate wished to betroth Kyriake to his son. Not only was she young and beautiful, but her parents were wealthy, and the magistrate wished to control that wealth. The magistrate went to her parents to request her hand, but Saint Kyriake told him that she wished to remain a virgin, for she had dedicated herself to Christ.

The magistrate was angered by her words, so he went to the emperor Diocletian to denounce the saint and her parents as Christians who mocked the idols, and refused to offer sacrifice to them.

Diocletian sent soldiers to arrest the family and have them brought before him. He asked them why they would not honour the gods which he himself honoured. They told him that these were false gods and that Christ was the one true God.

Dorotheus was beaten until the soldiers grew tired and were unable to continue. Since neither flattery nor torment had any effect, Diocletian sent Dorotheus and Eusebia to Melitene on the eastern border between Cappadocia and…

Source: Basilica News Agency (English) · Read the full story →

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💬 Comments (4) 🌐 Translate comments

Veronika Nováková

Sv. Kyriake bola odvážne dievča, keď rovno povedala tomu boháčovi, že chce zostať pannou pre Krista. Rodičia to potom schytali bitku a vyhnanstvo do Melitene, to ma vždy dojme, ako to vtedy brali vážne. Dnes by to asi nikto tak neprežil.

Xenia Wilson

That part about naming her Kyriake because she was born on Sunday is lovely – such a simple, everyday detail. It must have made her stand out from the start. Veronika, you're right that people today would probably fold much quicker under that kind of pressure.

Markus Wagner

Die Namensgeschichte mit dem Sonntag finde ich schön und ganz praktisch – bei uns im Chor haben wir auch eine Kyriaki, die sonntags immer besonders munter ist. Dass der reiche Beamte gleich zum Kaiser rennt, nur weil er das Vermögen wollte, zeigt wieder, wie schnell es damals um Macht und Geld ging. Veronika hat recht, heute würde kaum jemand so standhaft bleiben und die Folgen für die Eltern mittragen.

Mark Parker

That Sunday naming detail does feel like one of those small things that shapes a kid's whole path. My own daughter was born on a feast day and we still joke it set her up for the church choir. Makes you wonder how many of us would hold out like Kyriake did when the pressure really hit.