The orthodox calendar of saints in October features a large number of saints. These include St Andrew the Fool for Christ, St Sergius, St Martinian of White Lake, and St Philotheos. Learn more about these men and women in this article. You’ll also find information about their significance in the Orthodox world.
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St Andrew the Fool for Christ
St Andrew the Fool for Christ is a patron of the Orthodox Church. The story of his apparition is told in the Sacred Tradition of the Eastern Orthodox Church. During the 10th century, the Blessed Virgin Theotokos appeared to St Andrew the Fool for Christ in the Blachernae church in Constantinople. Andrew, a Slav by birth, watched the dome of the church open and the Most Holy Virgin enter. The Virgin Mary appeared to Andrew and other Saints and prayed for the Christians of the world and for her son Jesus Christ.
St Sergius
Saint Sergius of Russia is considered to be one of the greatest Russian saints. He was born into a noble family near Rostov and fled with his family to Radonezh near Moscow as a young man. At the age of fifteen, the family became peasants and Sergius became a hermit and monk. His life was marked by hardship and he began to serve God and humanity. The monk became an abbot and organized a monastery in the wilderness. The community began to grow and St. Sergius was ordained at the Holy Trinity Monastery in Pereyaslav Zalesky.
St Martinian of White Lake
Saint Martinian of White Lake was born in 1370 in a village near the monastery of Cyrilov. He was known as a great ascetic. He was taught by Saint Cyril of White Lake, who blessed him with the gift of copying books. He eventually became a deacon and hieromonk. Today, his feast day is celebrated on October 7.
St Hierotheos
In the Eastern Orthodox Christian Church, October is dedicated to St Hierotheos. This bishop was the first bishop of Athens and was ordained by the Holy Apostle Paul. He was also the friend of St Dionysius. In addition to this, he was also a great hymnographer. He was inspired to write hymns dedicated to the Theotokos. In addition, he was present at the Dormition of the Theotokos with the Apostles.
St Cleopas
Saint Cleopas is one of the Seventy Apostles of the Orthodox Church. He was a disciple of Jesus and a witness of the Lord’s appearance on the road to Emmaus. His feast day is celebrated on 30 October in the Eastern Orthodox Church and 25 September in the Roman Catholic Church. He is also remembered on 10 November in the Coptic Orthodox Church.
St Luke
Saint Luke was a Greek Christian who wrote the Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles. He was ordained a priest and deacon and he healed the sick. He was martyred when he was eighty years old. In the 4th century, he was arrested by idolaters and crucified on an olive tree. His relics were taken to Constantinople and later to Padova. Today, his relics are found in the Santa Justina Catholic church in Padova.
St Serapion
St Serapion, Orthodox saints for October, is an early Christian saint of the East. He is known for his theological works, and is commemorated on October 30. According to Eusebius, he wrote three works, two of them private letters. One was a letter against Montanism, and the other was a work addressed to Domninus, a Jew who had abandoned Christianity for Jewish will-worship.
