December 16 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)

The Eastern Orthodox cross

December 15 - Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar - December 17

All fixed commemorations below celebrated on December 29 by Eastern Orthodox Churches on the Old Calendar. ^{[note 1]}

For December 16, Orthodox Churches on the Old Calendar commemorate the Saints listed on December 3 .

Saints

• Prophet Haggai (Aggaeus) (500 BC) ^{[1] [2]} (see also: December 4, July 4)
• Martyr Marinus of Rome (283) ^{[3] [4]}
• Martyrs Promus (Probus) and Hilarion (Hilary), by the sword ^{[5] [6] [7] [note 2]}
• Saint Memnon, Archbishop of Ephesus (c. 440) ^{[8] [note 3]}
• Saint Modestus II, Patriarch of Jerusalem (634) ^{[7] [9] [10] [11] [note 4] [note 5]} (see also December 18 - Modestus I)
• Saint Simeon (Symeon) I, Patriarch of Antioch (834-840) ^{[7] [12] [note 6]}
• Blessed Empress Theophano Martinakia the Wonderworker (893), wife of Byzantine Emperor Leo VI the Wise ^{[13] [14]}
• Saint Nicholas II Chrysoberges (Chrysovergis), Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople (995) ^[15]

Pre-Schism Western saints

• Martyrs Valentine, Concordius, Navalis and Agricola, martyrs venerated in Ravenna in Italy (c. 305) ^{[16] [note 7]}
• Women Martyrs of North-West Africa, a great number of women martyred under Hunneric, Arian King of the Vandals (482) ^{[16] [note 8]}
• Saint Dabheog (Beoc, Beanus, Mobeoc), founder of a monastery on an island in Lough Derg in Donegal in Ireland (5th century) ^[16]
• Saint Ado of Vienne (875) ^{[16] [note 9]}
• Saint Adelaide of Italy, daughter of the King of Burgundy, she was married to Lothair II of Italy, became a nun (999) ^{[16] [note 10]}

Post-Schism Orthodox saints

• Venerable Sophia (Solomonia) Saburova of Suzdal, the Wonderworker, Nun, wife of Grand Duke Basil III of Moscow (1542) ^{[11] [18]}
• Saint John Rastorguyev the Barefoot, fool-for-Christ, of Kiev (1849)

New martyrs and confessors

• New Hieromartyr Vladimir Alexeyev, Priest of Okhansk (1918) ^{[5] [7] [11]}
• New Hieromartyr Arcadius Ostalsky, Bishop of Bezhetsk (1937) ^{[7] [11] [note 11]}
• New Hieromartyr Alexander Kolokolov, Protopresbyter of Tver (1937) ^{[5] [7]}
• New Hieromartyr Paul Favoritov, Priest of Tver (1937) ^{[5] [7]}
• New Hieromartyr Macarius Smirnov, Priest-monk of Tver (1937) ^{[5] [7] [19]}
• New Hieromartyr Peter Zinoviev, Priest of Tver (1937) ^{[5] [7]}
• New Hieromartyr Theodosius Boldiriev, Priest of Tver (1937) ^{[5] [7]}
• New Hieromartyrs Priests Elias Cheredeev, and Vladimir Damaskinus (1937) ^{[5] [19]}

Other commemorations

• Sunday of the Holy Forefathers of Jesus Christ (December 11–17)

Icon gallery

• 
  Prophet Haggai, Russian icon from first quarter of 18th century
• 
  Saint Theophano and her husband the emperor Leo IV the Wise.
• 
  Saint Theophano ( Menologion of Basil II , 10th century)
• 
  Seal of Patriarch Nicholas II Chrysoberges.
• 
  First Page of Martyrologium of Ado Viennensis. Edition: Rome, 1745.
• 
  Saint Adelaide of Italy.
• 
  St. Sophia of Suzdal.
• 
  New Hieromartyr Arcadius (Ostalsky), Bishop of Bezhetsk.
• 
  New Hieromartyr Arcadius (Ostalsky), Bishop of Bezhetsk - after NKVD tortures.

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. They may be the same commemorated in December 19. (Elias + Ares = Hilary?)
3. Certain Synaxaria mistakenly refer to him as the Bishop of Jerusalem.
4. Greek use: at Jerusalem.
5. "When the Persian King Chosroes II was advancing on Jerusalem in 614, Patriarch Zacharias sent Modestus through the enemy lines to ask help of the imperial forces stationed at Antioch. The Holy City fell to the Persians after a three-week siege and, for three days, was thoroughly pillaged and was the scene of dreadful massacres. As the holy Patriarch Zacharias (21 Feb.), along with the Holy Cross and thousands of Christians, had been deported to Persia, Modestus was chosen to succeed him in the still smouldering city. Braving death at every moment, the Saint, like a second Zerubbabel, saw to the burying of the tens of thousands of victims and to the cleansing of the devastated and profaned sanctuaries and holy places. He brought together, consoled and gave hope to the survivors, and thanks to unstinted aid from Saint John the Merciful, the Patriarch of Alexandria (12 Nov.), he was able to restore life to the afflicted Church of Sion, bereft of all resource." ^[9]
6. His memory is recorded in the Synaxarion of Delahaye, p. 361, 53, together with that of St. Memnon, Archbishop of Ephesus.
7. "At Ravenna, the holy martyrs Valentine, military officer, Concordius, his son, Navalis, and Agricola, who suffered for Christ in the persecution of Maximian." ^[17]
8. "In Africa, many holy virgins, who reached a happy termination of their martyrdom in the persecution of the Vandals, under the Arian king Hunneric, by having heavy weights tied to them, and burning plates of metal applied to their bodies." ^[17]
9. Born in Burgundy in France, he became a monk at Prüm near Trier in Germany. From here he travelled to Rome. On his return he became Bishop of Vienne and was an excellent bishop. He is remembered for the martyrology which bears his name.
10. She was rescued from brutality after his death by Otto the Great who married her. Widowed again, she was maltreated by her son and daughter-in-law. In old age she became the regent of the Empire. At the end of her life she became a nun.
11. See: (in Russian) Аркадий (Остальский) . Википедии. (Russian Wikipedia.)

References

1. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek): Ὁ Προφήτης Ἀγγαῖος. 16 Δεκεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
2. Prophet Haggai. OCA - Feasts and Saints.
3. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek): Ὁ Ἅγιος Μαρίνος ὁ Μάρτυρας. 16 Δεκεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
4. Martyr Marinus of Rome. OCA - Feasts and Saints.
5. December 29 / December 16. HOLY TRINITY RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH (A parish of the Patriarchate of Moscow).
6. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek): Οἱ Ἅγιοι Πρόμος (ἢ Πρόβος) καὶ Ἰλάριος οἱ Μάρτυρες. 16 Δεκεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
7. 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. 94.
8. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek): Ὁ Ἅγιος Μέμνων Ἀρχιεπίσκοπος Ἐφέσου. 16 Δεκεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
9. Hieromonk Makarios of Simonos Petra (Ed.). THE SYNAXARION: The Lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church: VOLUME TWO - November, December. Transl. from the French by Christopher Hookway. Holy Convent of the Annunciation of Our Lady, Ormylia (Chalkidike), 1999. pp. 437-438.
10. (in Greek) Ιερά Σύνοδος της Εκκλησίας της Ελλάδος. ΔIΠΤΥΧΑ ΤΗΣ ΕΚΚΛΗΣΙΑΣ ΤΗΣ ΕΛΛΑΔΟΣ. Αθήνησι 19η Δεκεμβρίου 2017. p. 353.
11. December 16/29. Orthodox Calendar (PRAVOSLAVIE.RU).
12. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek): Ὁ Ἅγιος Συμεὼν Ἀρχιεπίσκοπος Ἀντιοχείας. 16 Δεκεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
13. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek): Ἡ Ἁγία Θεοφανώ. 16 Δεκεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
14. Saint Theophanó the Wonderworker, wife of Emperor Leo the Wise. OCA - Feasts and Saints.
15. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek): Ὁ Ἅγιος Νικόλαος ὁ Χρυσοβέργης. 16 Δεκεμβρίου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
16. December 16. Latin Saints of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Rome.
17. 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. 386-387.
18. Venerable Sophia of Suzdal, the Wonderworker. OCA - Feasts and Saints.
19. (in Russian) 16 декабря (ст.ст.) 29 декабря 2013 (нов. ст.). Русская Православная Церковь Отдел внешних церковных связей. (DECR).

Sources

• December 16/29. Orthodox Calendar (PRAVOSLAVIE.RU).
• December 29 / December 16. HOLY TRINITY RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH (A parish of the Patriarchate of Moscow).
• December 16. 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. 94.
• December 16. 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.

Greek Sources

• Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek) 16 ΔΕΚΕΜΒΡΙΟΥ. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.
• (in Greek) Συναξαριστής. 16 Δεκεμβρίου. ECCLESIA.GR. (H ΕΚΚΛΗΣΙΑ ΤΗΣ ΕΛΛΑΔΟΣ).

Russian Sources

• (in Russian) 29 декабря (16 декабря). Православная Энциклопедия под редакцией Патриарха Московского и всея Руси Кирилла (электронная версия). (Orthodox Encyclopedia - Pravenc.ru).
• (in Russian) 16 декабря (ст.ст.) 29 декабря 2013 (нов. ст.). Русская Православная Церковь Отдел внешних церковных связей. (DECR).