April 3 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)

April 2 - Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar - April 4

An Eastern Orthodox cross

All fixed commemorations below are observed on April 16 by Orthodox Churches on the Old Calendar.[note 1]

For April 3rd, Orthodox Churches on the Old Calendar commemorate the Saints listed on March 21.

Saints

• Martyr Elpidephorus (3rd century)[1][2][3]
• Martyrs Dius,[4] Bithonius,[5] and Galycus[6] (3rd century)[1][7]
• Martyrs Cassius, Philip, and Eutychius, of Thessaloniki (304)[1]
• Virgin-martyrs Irene, Agapia and Chionia of Aquileia, in Thessaloniki (304)[8][9][10] (see also: April 16)
• Martyr Ulphianus of Tyre (306)[1][11]
• Virgin-martyr Theodosia of Tyre (308)[1][12] (see also: April 2)
• Martyrs Evagrius, Benignus, Chrestus, Arestus, Kinnudius, Rufus, Patricius, and Zosima, at Tomis in Moesia (c. 310)[1][13]
• Venerable Illyrius, monk of Mount Myrsinon in the Peloponnese.[1][14][15][16]
• Venerable Nicetas of Medikion (Nicetas the Confessor), Abbot of Medikion (824)[1][16][17][18][19][note 2]
• Venerable Joseph the Hymnographer, of Sicily (883)[1][16][21][22] (see also: April 4)

Pre-Schism Western saints

• Saint Pancras of Taormina (Pancratius), born in Antioch, consecrated by the Apostle Peter and sent to Taormina in Sicily where he was stoned to death (c. 40)[23][24][note 3]
• Saint Sixtus I (Xystus), Pope of Rome from 117 to c 125, sometimes referred to as a martyr (c. 125)[23]
• Saint Fara (Burgundofara) of Eboriac, now Faremoutiers (657)[1][20][23][note 4]
• Saint Attala (Attalus), a monk and abbot of a monastery in Taormina in Sicily (ca. 800)[23]

Post-Schism Orthodox saints

• Saint Philip I, Metropolitan of Moscow (1473)[1] (see also: April 5)
• Saint Nectarius, founder of Bezhetsk Monastery, Tver (1492)[1][25][26]
• New Martyr Paul the Russian at Constantinople (1683)[1][16][26][27] (see also: April 6)
• Venerable Amphilochios (Makris), Elder, of Patmos (1970)[1][28][note 5] (see also: April 16 - ns)

Other commemorations

• Synaxis of the Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos "The Unfading Rose" (Unfading Blossom, Flower of Incorruption).[1][26][31][32]

Icon gallery

• 
  Virgin-martyr Theodosia of Tyre.
• 
  Venerable Nicetas the Confessor, Abbot of Medikion.
• 
  Venerable Joseph the Hymnographer, of Sicily.
• 
  Theotokos "The Unfading Rose" (The Unfading Blossom, The Flower of Incorruption)
• 
  Theotokos "The Unfading Rose", with Sts. George and Demetrios.

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. "In the monastery of Medicion, in the East, the abbot St. Nicetas, who suffered much for the worship of holy images, in the time of Leo the Armenian."[20]
3. "AT Taormina, in Sicily, the bishop St. Pancratius, who sealed, with a martyr's blood, the gospel of Christ which the apostle St. Peter had sent him thither to preach."[20]
4. Blessed by St Columbanus as a child, she became a nun despite her father's opposition, and so began the convent of Brige in France. This was later called Faremoutiers, i.e. Fara's Monastery, where she was abbess for thirty-seven years.
5. He was glorified by the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople on August 29, 2018:[29]

   (in Greek) α) Εἰσηγήσει τῆς Κανονικῆς Ἐπιτροπῆς συμπεριελήφθη εἰς τό Ἁγιολόγιον τῆς Ὀρθοδόξου Ἐκκλησίας ὁ ἐν Πάτμῳ ἀσκήσας καί ἀναπτύξας μέγα πνευματικόν καί κοινωφελές ἔργον ἐν Δωδεκανήσῳ, Κρήτῃ καί ἀλλαχοῦ Ἀρχιμανδρίτης Ἀμφιλόχιος Μακρῆς, διατελέσας Ἡγούμενος τῆς ἱστορικῆς Ἱερᾶς Μονῆς Ἁγίου Ἰωάννου τοῦ Θεολόγου καί Πατριαρχικός Ἔξαρχος Πάτμου, ὅστις καί ἵδρυσε τήν ἐν τῇ Νήσῳ γυναικείαν Ἱεράν Μονήν Εὐαγγελισμοῦ Μητρός Ἠγαπημένου.[30]

References

1. April 3 / April 16. Orthodox Calendar (Pravoslavie.ru).
2. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek) Ὁ Ἅγιος Ἐλπιδοφόρος ὁ Μάρτυρας. 3 Απριλίου. Μεγασ Συναξαριστησ.
3. Martyr Elpidephorus. OCA - Lives of the Saints.
4. Martyr Dius. OCA - Lives of the Saints.
5. Martyr Bithonius. OCA - Lives of the Saints.
6. Martyr Galycus. OCA - Lives of the Saints.
7. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek) Οἱ Ἅγιοι Βιθύνιος, Γάλυκος καὶ Δίος οἱ Μάρτυρες. 3 Απριλίου. Μεγασ Συναξαριστησ.
8. Martyr Irene. OCA - Lives of the Saints.
9. Martynov, Ivan (1863). Annus ecclesiasticus græeco-slavicus (in Latin). Brussels. p. 103.
10. Rev. Sabine Baring-Gould (M.A.). "SS. Agape, Chionia, and Ireene, VV., MM.. (About A.D. 290.)." In: The Lives of the Saints. Volume the Fourth: April. London: John C. Nimmo, 1897. pp. 34-37.
11. Rev. Sabine Baring-Gould (M.A.). "S. Ulpian, M. (A.D. 304.)." In: The Lives of the Saints. Volume the Fourth: April. London: John C. Nimmo, 1897. p. 38.
12. Virginmartyr Theodosia of Tyre. OCA - Lives of the Saints.
13. Very Rev. John O'Hanlon. "Article VI.—Festival of St. Evagrius, and of his Companions, Martyrs, at Tomis, in Scythia." In: Lives of the Irish Saints: With Special Festivals, and the Commemorations of Holy Persons. Vol. IV. Dublin, 1875. pp. 19-20.
14. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek) Ὁ Ὅσιος Ἱλλυριός. 3 Απριλίου. Μεγασ Συναξαριστησ.
15. St Illyricus the Monk of Mt. Myrsinon in the Peloponnesus. OCA - Lives of the Saints.
16. (in Greek) Συναξαριστής. 3 Απριλίου. Ecclesia.gr. (H Εκκλησια Τησ Ελλαδοσ).
17. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek) Ὁ Ὅσιος Νικήτας ὁ Ὁμολογητής. 3 Απριλίου. Μεγασ Συναξαριστησ.
18. Venerable Nicetas the Confessor the Abbot of Medikion. OCA - Lives of the Saints.
19. Rev. Sabine Baring-Gould (M.A.). "S. Nicetas, AB. C. (A.D. 824.)." In: The Lives of the Saints. Volume the Fourth: April. London: John C. Nimmo, 1897. pp. 39-47.
20. 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. p. 95.
21. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek) Ὁ Ὅσιος Ἰωσὴφ ὁ Ὑμνογράφος. 3 Απριλίου. Μεγασ Συναξαριστησ.
22. Rev. Sabine Baring-Gould (M.A.). "S. Joseph, The Hymnographer, C. (A.D. 883.)." In: The Lives of the Saints. Volume the Fourth: April. London: John C. Nimmo, 1897. pp. 48-49.
23. April 3. Latin Saints of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Rome.
24. Rev. Sabine Baring-Gould (M.A.). "S. Pancras, B. of Taormina, M. (1ST Cent.)." In: The Lives of the Saints. Volume the Fourth: April. London: John C. Nimmo, 1897. pp. 33-34.
25. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek) Ὁ Ὅσιος Νεκτάριος τοῦ Μπεζέτσκ. 3 Απριλίου. Μεγασ Συναξαριστησ.
26. April 16 / April 3. Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Church (A parish of the Patriarchate of Moscow).
27. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek) Ὁ Ἅγιος Παῦλος ὁ Νεομάρτυρας ὁ Ἀπελεύθερος. 3 Απριλίου. Μεγασ Συναξαριστησ.
28. (in Greek) Όσιος Αμφιλόχιος Μακρής της Ιεράς Νήσου Πάτμου. Ορθόδοξος Συναξαριστής. 16/04/2018]
29. Elder Amphilochios (Makris) Canonized by Ecumenical Patriarchate. Orthodox Christianity. Constantinople, August 29, 2018. Retrieved: 29 August 2018.
30. (in Greek) Ανακοινωθέν Αγίας και Ιεράς Συνόδου (29/8/2018). Οikoymenikon Πatpiapxeion - Ειδήσεις. 29ην τ.μ. Αὐγούστου (2018). Retrieved: 29 August 2018.
31. Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek) Σύναξις Ὑπεραγίας Θεοτόκου τοῦ Ἀμαράντου Ρόδου. 3 Απριλίου. Μεγασ Συναξαριστησ.
32. Icon of the Mother of God “the Unfading Bloom”. OCA - Lives of the Saints.

Sources

• April 3 / April 16. Orthodox Calendar (Pravoslavie.ru).
• April 16 / April 3. Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox Church (A parish of the Patriarchate of Moscow).
• April 3. 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. 26.
• April 3. 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. p. 95.
• Rev. Richard Stanton. A Menology of England and Wales, or, Brief Memorials of the Ancient British and English Saints Arranged According to the Calendar, Together with the Martyrs of the 16th and 17th Centuries. London: Burns & Oates, 1892. pp. 141–143.

Greek Sources

• Great Synaxaristes: (in Greek) 3 Απριλιου. Μεγασ Συναξαριστησ.
• (in Greek) Συναξαριστής. 3 Απριλίου. Ecclesia.gr. (H Εκκλησια Τησ ΕΛΛαδοσ).

Russian Sources

• (in Russian) 16 апреля (3 апреля). Православная Энциклопедия под редакцией Патриарха Московского и всея Руси Кирилла (электронная версия). (Orthodox Encyclopedia - Pravenc.ru).
• (in Russian) 3 апреля (ст.ст.) 16 апреля 2013 (нов. ст.). Русская Православная Церковь Отдел внешних церковных связей. (DECR).