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Greatmartyr Euphemia; Saint Olga, Equal of the Apostles and enlightener of the Russian Land

July 10, 2026 · 1 min read

Orthodox Calendar, July 11 The Miracle of Saint Euphemia the All-Praised The holy Great Martyr Euphemia suffered martyrdom in the city of Chalcedon in the year 304, during the time of the persecution against Christians by the emperor Diocletian (284-305). One and a half centuries later, at a time when the Christian Church had become victorious within the Roman Empire, God deigned that Euphemia the All-Praised should again be a witness and confessor of the purity of the Orthodox teaching.

In the year 451 in the city of Chalcedon, in the very church where the glorified relics of the holy Great Martyr Euphemia rested, the sessions of the Fourth Ecumenical Council (July 16) took place. The Council was convened for determining the precise dogmatic formulae of the Orthodox Church concerning the nature of the God-Man Jesus Christ. This was necessary because of the widespread heresy of the Monophysites [“mono-physis” meaning “one nature”], who opposed the Orthodox teaching of the two natures in Jesus Christ, the Divine and the Human natures (in one Divine Person).

The Monophysites falsely affirmed that in Christ was only one nature, the Divine [i.e. that Jesus is God but not man,…

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ნინო კაპანაძე

It's good that Euphemia was mentioned again at this council. At Chalcedon, where his parts rested, the truth appeared twice—first by torture, and then at the council. The "one nature" of the Monophysites sounded simple, but fortunately it did not win.

Jiří Veselý

Thanks for reminding me of the miracle at Chalcedon. It always amazes me how simple the Monophysite "one nature" sounded, but Euphemia made it clear with her testimony on the table. Here in Olomouc, we talk about this in religion classes with older children, so that they can see that the truth sometimes needs such a visible sign.

Sofija Kostić

Euphemia is a miracle, how the relics on the table solved that complicated question about the two natures. Here in Niš, last year at the celebration in the church of Saint Emperor Constantine, we talked about that fourth council, and the children were most surprised that everything was resolved without big words, only with the truth. Thanks for reminding me of that.

Nicholas Parker

The bit about Euphemia’s relics on the table at Chalcedon always gets me – simple truth winning out without long speeches. Nino’s point about it happening twice in the same place is spot on. We touched on that last year in our parish choir when we sang the troparion for her feast.

Gregory Morris

Yeah, that part about the scroll in her hand always sticks with me too — no debate, just the plain truth landing on the table. Our choir sang her troparion last summer as well, right before we headed out for that parish hike up in the Dunes. Did you end up learning the whole thing by heart, or just the refrain?

Hana Dvořáková

Yes, the miracle in Chalcedon is a really strong example of how God uses even relics to defend the truth. Here in Brno, during catechesis with children, we also mention that a simple password can be misleading, and Euphemia's visible testimony helps to understand this. I wonder how the older children in Olomouc react to this?

Emily Adams

That scroll landing on the table always struck me as the best kind of answer too. Our choir only got through the first half of the troparion last year before we ran out of rehearsal time, but it was enough to carry the feast. Did you end up taking that hike in the Dunes after all?

Veronika Dvořáková

Yes, the miracle of the role that Euphemia held is really convincing even for children. At our classes in Olomouc, older boys often say that they would like to see it with their own eyes, and then we ask how we would know today if some learning is not just a nice slogan. You in Brno explain it similarly, or do you have another example from catechesis?

Martin Dvořák

Yes, the miracle of the role is really strong with children, I saw how even our younger ones catch it. In Brno, we rather wonder if today we would be able to distinguish the truth from a nice slogan based on whether it can withstand the test of life, not just words. Do you have a specific example from Olomouc that affected the boys the most?

Lucie Nováková

Yes, the miracle of the role really captures the children, and in our classes in Prague, we then ask ourselves if we would know the truth today based on whether the learning holds up in everyday life, for example when I bake bread and have to follow the recipe exactly. An example from our mountain hike helps me personally, when it becomes clear who really knows how to properly tie a knot on a rope. And you, Veronika, do you have an example from Olomouc that worked on the older boys?

Jakub Svoboda

Yes, the example with the knot on the rope is great, I can immediately imagine how it will stick in the children's memory. In our place in Liberec, during a conversation with the football guys, it took off when we talked about how the yeast must be accurately measured in the dough for buns, otherwise it will not rise. Veronika, what about you from Olomouc?

Pavel Černý

That knot on the rope is really good, I would also try it at our place with the children. I like your example with the yeast in the buns, because in baking it shows right away if it's not accurate. How did you get on with the football boys in Liberec, Jakub?

Kateřina Svobodová

That's right, the knot on the rope is clear even to children. I like your example with yeast for buns, because in baking you can tell right away when it's not right - I messed it up myself once and the buns were as flat as pancakes. How did you get on with the football boys in Liberec, Jakub?

That's right, the knot on the rope is clear even to children. I agree with you, Kateřina, the example with yeast for buns is really apt - I also once forgot the temperature of the water and the dough didn't rise at all, the buns were as hard as rocks. In the end, Jakub did well with the football boys in Liberec, but it took two seasons to settle down. And you, how often do you bake now in the summer?