June 18th: St. Leontius

St. leontius, martyr, suffered torture and death for Christ in Tripoli in Phoenicia about the year 76 in the reign of Vespasian, Emperor.

June 17th: SS. Manuel, Sabel, and Izmael

SS. Manuel, Sabel, and Izmael were Persian Martyrs, sent by their King Baitan to negociate peace with the Emperor Julian the Apostate. Tradition has it that Julian had them arrested, condemned, beheaded, and their bodies burned about the year 362.

June 16th: St. Tychon

St. Tychon was Bishop of Amathunsa, conspicuous for his detestation of idolatry and his care of the poor. He died around 450.

June 15th: The Prophet Amos

The Prophet Amos was the father of Isaias the Prophet.

June 14th: St. Elisseus, Prophet

St. Elisseus the Prophet, was of the Tribe of Ruben and son of Saphath, born in 816 B.C. On him fell the mantle of Elias, and he continued the work of that great Prophet.

June 13th: Ss. Aquilina and Trephellius

St. Aquilina, martyr, suffered death in 117 under the Emperor Trajan in Byblos in Syria. St. Trephellius, Bishop of Levkusia in Cyprus, suffered at the hands of the Ariansespecially because of his loyality to St. Athanasius. He died about 370.

June 12th: St. Onufrius the Great

St. Onufrius the Great, our venerable Father, was a hermit who lived for sixty years in the desert of Thebes. He died around the year 345 in the reign of Constantius.

June 11th: SS. Bartholomew and Banabas

Ss. Bartholomew and Barnabas were Apostles. Bartholomew is thought by many to be Nathaniel, the "Israelite without guile" of St. John's Gospel. He suffered martyrdom in Greater Armenia, and his relics are in his church Rome. St. Barnabas was one of the Seventy discipl;es. He laboured with St. Paul in Antioch, Seleucia, and is said to have been stoned to death by the Jews on the Island of Cyprus.

Pray For The Repose Of The Soul Of Metropolitan Basil

Vicnaja pamjat! Eternal Memory!

The Metropolitan of the Byzantine Catholic Metropolia of Pittsburgh, fell asleep in the Lord today. Please pray for him: With the souls of the Just brought to perfection, give rest, O Savior, to the soul of Your servant + BASIL, keeping him for the blessed life with You, for You love mankind.

In blessed repose, grant, O Lord, eternal rest to your departed servant,
the high priest Metropolitan Basil, and remember him forever.
Eternal Memory!

Here are some prayers from the PANACHIDA, the prayer service for the Departed.

With the souls of the Just brought to perfection, give rest, O Savior, to the soul of Your servant + BASIL, keeping them for the blessed life with You, for You love mankind.

In the place of rest which is Yours, O Lord, where all Your Saints repose, give rest to the soul of Your servant, for You alone love mankind.

Glory be to the Father +, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

You are the God Who descended into the realm of death and ended the sorrow of the captives; give rest, also, to the soul of Your servant, O Lord.

Now and ever, and forever. Amen.

O Virgin, the only pure and immaculate, you gave birth to God; intercede for the salvation of the soul of your servant.

June 10th: St. Timothy

St. Timothy, Priest and Martyr, and Bishop of Prusia in Bithynia in Asia Minor. Suffered death in the persecution under Julian the Apostate in 362.

June 9th: St. Cyril of Alexandria

St. Cyril was Archbishop of Alexandria. Opposed the Nestorians and taught the divine and human natures of Christ are united in oneness of person, and that the Blessed Virgin Mary ought to be trult called the Mother of God. St. Cyril presided over the 3rd Eucumenical Council at Ephesus in 431. He died in 444.

June 8th: translation of the Relics St. Theodore the Great Martyr

St. Theodore was a General in the Army of the Emperor Licinius. He suffered death at Heracles in thrace in 318.

June 7th: St. Theodotus

St. Theodotus, Priest and Martyr, Bishop of Ancyra. Called Wonderwoker, he was cruelly tortured to death.

June 6th: St. Bessarion

St. Bessarion, called wonderworker because of his virtues and miracles and compared to Moses, and some of the other Prophets. He is thought to have died before the year 400.

In 2010, today is also the Second Sunday After Pentecost.

June 5th: Dorotheon of Tyre

At Tyre, St. Dorotheus, a priest, who suffered greatly under Diocletian, but survived until the reign of Julian, under whom his venerable age of one hundred and seven years was crowned with martyrdom.

June 4th: St. Metrophanes

Our Holy Father Metrophanes: First Patriarch of Constantinople Emperor Constantine the Great fondly respected Metrophanes, bishop of Byzantium, and as regarded him as his spiritual father. Because Metrophanes was in ill health (being well over a hundred years of age), he was unable to participate in the First Ecumenical Council which was held at Nicea in the year 325 A.D., but instead sent his Chor-bishop (Choriepiscopus) Alexander, as his representative. At the Council, Constantine conferred upon Metrophanes the title of Patriarch. He was thus the first Patriarch of Constantinople. Constantine had the Fathers of the Ecumenical Council visit the holy and aged patriarch. In their presence Metrophanes held the hand of Athanasius, Archdeacon of Alexandria, [later known as Athanasius the Great, Patriarch of Alexandria] and praised his efforts to expose the false teaching (arianism) of the arch-heretic Arius. Arius denied that the Son of God was truly God. The holy patriarch named Alexander of Alexandria to be his successor at Constantinople. After asking the forgiveness of all he may have ever offended, Metrophanes fell asleep in the Lord a few days later. (325 A.D.)

TROPARION, tone 4: The sincerity of your deeds has revealed you to your people as a teacher of moderation, a model of faith, and an example of virtue. Therefore, you attained greatness through humility, and wealth through poverty. O Father and Archbishop Metrophanes, ask Christ our God to save our souls.

June 3rd: Saint Lucillian

Saint Lucillian was martyred under the Emperor Aurelian (270-275 A.D.). Lucillian was an elderly man who for much of his adult life was a pagan priest. He turned away from paganism when he discovered Christ and received holy illumination through the Mystery of Baptism. Later on, holy elder was arrested and brought before the magistrate Silvanus. As Lucillian refused to renounce his faith in Christ and had no intention of returning to his old religion, he was subjected to cruel tortures. He was imprisoned, scourged, suspended by ropes with his head toward the ground, and his jawbone was broken by the guards. In prison he met four youths (Claudius, Hypatius, Paul and Dionysius) who were also imprisoned for their faith in Christ. Lucillian and the four youths were brought before the magistrate again. As the elder and the four youths remained firm in faith, the magistrate ordered that they be killed by being thrown into a furnace. It happened that a torrent of rain doused the fire of the furnace and the five brave Christians were spared death by fire. They were later led to (pre-Christian) Byzantium where they were martyred: the youths by beheading and the elder by crucifixion.

O Lord our God, your Holy Martyrs Lucillian, Claudius, Hypatius, Paul and Dionysius, have deserved the crown of immortality on account of their good fight. Armed with your strength, they have vanquished their persecutors and crushed Satan's dreadful might. Through their supplications, O Christ God, save our souls!

June 2nd; St. Nicephoros

NIcephoros was Patriarch of Constantinople. Defended the practice of the veneration of Icons against the Iconoclasts in the persecution of leo the Armenian. Died in the 15th year of his exile in 771 in the reign of Constantine V Copronymus, Emperor.

Reminder about Apostle's Fast

In the Byzantine Catholic Metropolia of Pittsburgh (to which our own Eparchy is united) May 31 to June 28 is observed by voluntary abstinence from meat on Wednesdays as well as the usually obligatory abstinence on Fridays.

June 1st, St. Justin the Martyr

St. Justin was a great philosopher, born in Sichem in the Palestine. Delved deeply into philosophical meditations. Became a Christian and wrote apologies for the Faith. Was beheaded in Rome in the year 167 in the Reign of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius.