December 9
Feasts
Feasts: The Conception by Saint Anna of the Most Holy Theotokos; Saints: Prophetess Anna (Hannah), mother of Prophet Samuel (ca.1100 BC); Saint Vassa (Bassa), Patrician and Igumenia of a female monastery in Jerusalem, where she also founded the Monastery of St Menas, whose Abbot was the Bishop Stephanos of Jamnia; Martyr Easios, tortured and beheaded (ca.284-305); Martyr Isaac; Martyr Nerses of Persia, by the sword; Martyr Sositheus of Persia, by the sword (553); Saint Sophronius the Archbishop of Cyprus (6th c.) Saint Stephen “the New Light” of Constantinople (912); Saint Syrus of Pavia, first Bishop and main patron-saint of Pavia in Italy (ca. 1st c.); Virgin-martyr Valerie of Limoges (Valeria of Aquitaine), converted by St Martial of Limoges and beheaded (1st or 3rd c.); Virgin-martyr Leocadia (Locaie), in Toledo, Spain (ca.303); Saint Proculus of Verona, Bishop of Verona, a confessor during the persecution of Diocletian, reposed in peace (ca.320); Martyrs Peter, Successus, Bassian, Primitivus and 20 other Companions, in North Africa; Saint Cyprian, a monk at Périgueux in France, who ended his life as a hermit on the banks of the Dordogne (586); Saint Restitutus, Bishop of Carthage in North Africa and Martyr; Saint Balda, third Abbess of Jouarre in France (7th c.); Saint Budoc (Budeaux), born in Brittany, became Abbot of Youghal in Ireland, then Bishop of Dol in Brittany (7th c.?); Saint Ethelgiva (Æthelgifu), the daughter of King Alfred the Great, became first Abbess of Shaftesbury (896); Saint Wolfeius, a hermit at St Benet Hulme in Norfolk in England (ca. 1000); Saint Enguerrammus (Angilram) 'the Wise', monk and Abbot of Saint Riquier in France (1045); Hieromonk Anthymus the Athonite, "Fool-for-Christ"; New Hieromartyr Vladimir, priest (1919); New Hieromartyr Vladimir, priest and Virgin-martyr Ephrosia (1920); New Hieromartyrs Protopresbyter Basil Yagodin, and priest Alexander Buravtsev (1937); New Martyr Priest Sergius Mechiev of Moscow (1941); New-Martyr Archpriest Paul Levashov of Gomel; Other Commemorations: Commemoration of the Founding of the Church of the Resurrection at Jerusalem (335); Repose of Archimandrite Theodosius of Tismana and Sophroniev Monasteries, fellow-struggler of St. Paisius Velichkovsky (1802); Repose of Elder Anthimus the Bulgarian on Mt. Athos (1867); Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos "Unexpected Joy".