Efthalia

Holy Martyr Efthalia.

St. Efthalia was a virgin martyr of Sicily in the early centuries of the Church. Tradition relates that she came to faith in Christ together with her mother, and that when her pagan brother raged against her confession she would not renounce the Lord, and so gave her life for the faith.

The synaxaria preserve little else of her story, but the Church has kept her memory as one of the pure virgin martyrs whose steadfastness shone within her own household. She is commemorated on March 2.

Feast day

On the New Calendar, Efthalia is commemorated on March 2. Churches on the Old (Julian) Calendar keep the feast on March 15 of the civil calendar.

Who celebrates a name day

People with these names keep their name day on this feast:

Efthaleia, Efthalia

Also commemorated on March 2

• Theodotos of Kyrenia

  Hierarch, Θεόδοτος

  Hieromartyr Theodotos, Bishop of Kyrenia in Cyprus, confessor under Licinius.

  Name days: Theodotos, Theodotus

• Nicholas Planas

  Saint, Νικόλαος Πλανάς

  Saint Nicholas Planas, the humble priest of Athens.

• Kointos the Confessor

  Saint, Κόιντος

  Saint Kointos (Quintus) the Confessor and Wonderworker of Phrygia.

• Nestor and Tribimios

  Martyr, Νέστωρ

  Holy Martyrs Nestor and Tribimios of Perge in Pamphylia.

• Joachim of Ithaca

  Venerable, Ιωακείμ ο Ιθακήσιος

  Venerable Joachim of Ithaca, called Papoulakis, ascetic of Mount Athos and Ithaca.

• Andronikos and Athanasia

  Saint, Ανδρόνικος

  Righteous Andronikos and his wife Athanasia of Antioch, ascetics of Egypt.