Our venerable Mother '''PARASKEVE (romParaskeve the New''' lived as a monastic in the 11th century. She is honoured in Romania as '''Parascheva''', hbstraditionally as '''Sfânta Vineri''' (lit. '''Saint Friday''') and in Serbia and Macedonia as '''Petka) '''. She is also called 'distinguished from other saints of the same name with the descriptions "the New' " or '"the Young'''', Saint, ." Her [[feast day]] is celebrated on [[October 14]]. She is the 14/27th patron saint of October.Particularly venerated today in the historical Romanian region of Moldavia (in Romania) but also Moldova and Romanians generally in the Balkans. Considered as protector of Moldaviahave great esteem towards her.

== Earthly Life ==Born in Epivat (Thrace; [[Byzantium]], near Constantinople) in 11th century, Paraskeve was of noble origin. Her pious parents taught her as a child the words of the Gospel which say that everyone who wants to follow the Lord Jesus must give up everything. When her parents died, she gave up the world for the "desert" while still young in years. First she dedicated her life entirely to God through [[prayer]] and [[fast]]ing, and then undertook [[ascetic]] struggles in the desert of Jordan.

Born She is especially beloved by the Orthodox peoples of Serbia, Bulgaria, Romania, and Moldavia where her holy [[relics]] are kept in Epivat the Metropolitan Cathedral Church, Iaşi, Romania. ==Hymn==[[Troparion]] (Thrace – Byzantium, near Constantinople[[Tone]] 4) [http://www.oca.org/FSTropars.asp?ID=102968]:You chose a silent and solitary life;:You followed [[Christ]] your Bridegroom.:You took his easy yoke in 11th centuryyour youth,:Arming yourself with the [[sign of the Cross]].:You contended against spiritual enemies:Through fasting, tears and labors,:O glorious Paraskeva.:Now you stand before Christ with the Wise Virgins::[[intercession|Intercede]] for us who honor your precious memory. ==Miracles==Many miracles are mentioned as being done by God through Saint Paraskeve. According with the miracles [http://www.sfantaparascheva.com/minuni.php described here], Saint Paraskeve was helped people with::---getting help in marriage , finding a great spouse:---solving health related issues:---finding stolen objects:---escaping from the power of sick angels:---getting good grades at exams and finishing degrees:---finding a job:---finding a place to live:---finding resources and ways for coming to pilgrimage to her relics :---defending the Iasi city on war:---stopping the theft:---building a Church:---defending the church:---defending life even of the unborn:---defending food from bugs  Miracles described took place because people did one or more of the following::---prayed to the Saint in front of noble origin. She heard her relics asking for help:---read the Akhatist of the saint in front of her childhood relics:---reading the Akhatist and the Paraclete in front of the Holy relics:---left a diptych to be comemorated at Holy Liturgy:---gave a diptych to the Church that has the Holy relics through another person visiting the Church:---prayed to the saint at home Because of the words multitude of miracles done by the Saint Paraskeve, on the Gospel day of her celebration, tens of thousand of people are coming into pilgrimage at her relics. It is possible that said in the day of the celebration of a Saint, the Saint to be able to perform more miracles. Observation: :When praying to God or in front of the relics of a Saint it is good to pray for both the problems you know about and the problems you don't know about. Regarding the problems you don't know about, you can pray for whatever Mother of God knows that everyone who wants you need.  :A diptych is a list on which names of persons alive or departed are recorded to be read for help at Holy Liturgy in front of God. The names of living and departed are written usually in two different columns. On the diptych, in the end can be mentioned "with all their relatives" as to follow Lord Jesus must give up anything help to as many people as possible. Also it is customary to write people you don't know as a way of mercy. :After doing some prayer or actions is good to pray for it; thereforethese to be useful. :When visiting the relics of a Saint, one can put a piece of cloth that does not get washed like a napkin or glasses or other objects on the relics of the saints . One can see a myrrh flagrance coming from some of the objects that touched the saint relics. It is useful then from time to time to touch with these objects the head or the parts of the body with problems.  :For many things like for decisions that include knowing the future is good to pray to God for a good outcome :The power of the Holy relics is mentioned in her Old Testament and there we see a dead person being thrown over the relics of a Prophet and that person becoming alive. If the relics of a prophet can turn death into life, the relics of a New Testament saint can do probably more because the New Law is more powerful than the Old Law. :Even if relics were venerated for the first youth1500 years of Christianity in all Europe, some denominations may be uneasy with this, even if Evangelist Luke painted icons, some denominations may be uneasy with icons, even if a cloth of prophet Elijah parted the waters of a river , a miracle being performed some denominations may be uneasy with miracles being performed through objects belonging to saints, even if many Apostles wrote Holy Liturgies starting around year 60, some denominations may be uneasy with Holy Liturgy. This is life. ==Pilgrimage==The Holy relics of Saint Paraskeve are located in Iasi, a city that have an [http://www.aeroport.ro/index.php/ro/plecari/articol/dezvoltare-si-modernizare.html International Airport of a smaller scale] connected to the World.The relics are located into the [http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF-8&q=catedrala+mitropolitana+Iasi+harta&fb=1&gl=us&hq=catedrala+mitropolitana&hnear=0x40cafb7cf639ddbb:0x7ccb80da5426f53c,Ia%C8%99i,+Romania&cid=0,0,7148799511352223145&ei=tgMEUd6TPIT49QT9uYFI&ved=0CLsBEPwSMAc Metropolitan Cathedral] and can be venerated at any time the Church is open. The [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sz9nUngeg0w Metropolitan Cathedral] is usually open every day. Here is an youtube movie about Iasi http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkHujqDFaRk . On the day of celebration of St Paraskeve the line to venerate the relics can last for 12 hours and can be as long as 2.5 km. It is very interesting how a Saint can intercede for such a multitude of people in front of God, she gave up anyhow with God anything is possible.  About the world power of prayer in front of relics of a Saint there are many things to say, anyhow nothing compares with ones own experience so if having a problem one can consider asking in front of relics or at home , a Saint for intercession and help.  ==External links==*[http://ocafs.oca.org/FeastSaintsViewer.asp?SID=4&ID=1&FSID=102968 Venerable Parasceva (Petka)] ([[OCA]])*[http://www.goarch.org/chapel/saints_view?contentid=750&type=saints Righteous Paraskeve of Serbia] ([[GOARCH]])*[http://www.westsrbdio.org/saints/stpetka.html Saint Petka] ([[Serbian Orthodox Church in the USA and Canada|Serbian]])*[http://orthodoxword.wordpress.com/2009/10/12/the “desert-pious-saint-parascheva/ The Pious Saint Parascheva] (OrthodoxWord blog)*[http://www.orthodoxphotos.com/Holy_Relics/St._Parascheva/index.shtml Saint Paraskeva the New, who have her holy relics in Iasi, Romania]*[http://www.roca.org/OA/133/133g.htm St. Petka-Paraskeva of Serbia Commemorated October 14] ''Orthodox America''*[http://web.archive.org/web/20080221195523/http://www.byzantinesacredart.com/exhibition.html St. Petka Slava and Exhibition in St. Sava church, Vancouver, Oct. 14/27, 2005] (archive)  [[Category:Bulgarian Saints]][[Category:Romanian Saints]][[Category:Saints]][[Category:Byzantine Saints]][[Category:Greek Saints]][[Category:Serbian Saints]][[Category:Wonderworkers]][[Category:11th-century saints]] [[ro:Parascheva de la Iaşi]][[mk:Преподобна Параскева]]