Emilian the Confessor

Bishop Aemilianus of Cyzicus.

St. Emilian was bishop of Cyzicus in the ninth century, during the renewed persecution of the holy icons. Summoned to reject the veneration of the icons of Christ and the saints, he refused, defending the Orthodox faith with firmness before the iconoclast emperor.

For his confession he was driven from his see and endured exile and hardship until his blessed repose, receiving the title of Confessor from the Church he would not betray. He is commemorated on August 8.

Feast day

On the New Calendar, Emilian the Confessor is commemorated on August 8. Churches on the Old (Julian) Calendar keep the feast on August 21 of the civil calendar.

Who celebrates a name day

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

Emilianos, Emilios

Also commemorated on August 8

• 

  Myron of Crete (Bishop)

  Hierarch, Μύρων Κρήτης

  Saint Myron the Wonderworker, Bishop of Crete.

• Triantaphyllos of Zagora

  Martyr, Τριαντάφυλλος

  Holy New Martyr Triantaphyllos of Zagora, who suffered at Constantinople.

  Name days: Triantafyllos, Triantafillos, Triantaphyllos, Triantafyllia, Triantafillia

• Eleutherios and Leonides

  Martyr, Ελευθέριος και Λεωνίδης

  Holy Martyrs Eleutherios, Leonides and the Holy Infants, burned for Christ.

• Kallinikos of Edessa

  Hierarch, Καλλίνικος Εδέσσης

  Saint Kallinikos, Metropolitan of Edessa, Pella and Almopia.

• Anastasios of Bulgaria

  Martyr, Αναστάσιος ο εκ Βουλγαρίας

  Holy New Martyr Anastasios of Bulgaria, who suffered at Thessaloniki.

Icon: public domain image from Wikimedia Commons.