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for all your reading and devotional supply needs
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St. Philothea Greek Orthodox Church Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Atlanta
3761 Mars Hill Road Watkinsville, Georgia 30677 For more information: 770-725-5035 For Marswood Hall Call: 770-841-3937 |
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About St. Philothea, Our Patron Saint
Feast Day: February 19 Troparion (Tone 5): Let us honor the boast of the city of the Athenians,/ Philothei the righteous martyr./ Let us embrace and kiss her holy relics./ She lived in holiness and exchanged this fleeting life for the eternal/ by her contest and martyrdom./ She is praying the Savior to grant us His great mercy.
Her Life and Work:
St. Philothea was born Revoula Venizelos, to a very wealthy family in Athens, Greece in 1522, during the Turkish occupation. At the age of twelve she was betrothed to a nobleman against her will, but she consented to marry him to please her parents. Her husband was brutally abusive toward her throughout their three years of marriage. After her husband's death, when she was fifteen, she returned to her parents' home for ten years, until they both died. After their death she built a convent for women, dedicated it to St. Andrew, and took the name Philothei, which means, friend of God. Among other things, she founded schools in Athens, protected women from Turkish abductions and conversion to Islam, cared for the poor and the sick, and she was ultimately martyred for her faithfulness. St. Philothea is the patron saint of Athens, Greece. |
