Listen to the news

Saint Anisia was a native of the city of Thessalonica.

Her parents were Christians and wealthy people.

They took great care of her upbringing and from childhood she loved God more than anything in the world.

She studied God's law with joy, diligently tried to fulfill God's will. 

But from an early age, Anisia was deprived of her good parents.

After their death, she inherited a large fortune.

However, wealth did not make Anisia happy, but frightened her.

She knew that there are many temptations in wealth, that it often arouses in man pride and vanity and easily leads him away from God.

Therefore, Anisia asked God for help, to guide her to use the wealth received for benefit, and not for the destruction of her soul. 

And then she decided to give everything to the poor.

She visited hospitals and prisons, bringing generous aid to the unfortunate.

But the young Christian woman did not only help with money.

She ministered to the sick, gave them medicine, bandaged their wounds, served them with love and zeal.

After giving away her wealth, she herself lived in extreme poverty, spending her days in work and her nights in prayer.

In this voluntary poverty, amid deprivations of every kind, she felt more spiritual joy than many rich people in their magnificent palaces.

It's St. Stephen's Day!

At that time the emperor Galerius began a terrible persecution against the Christians.

He is known as a fierce opponent of Christianity and the main initiator of the persecutions initiated by Diocletian.

Then whoever killed a Christian was not considered guilty of murder. 

Once in 298, Anisia was going to church, and on that day the pagans had a festival.

A soldier saw Anisia and decided to force her to sacrifice to the idols.

The frightened girl resisted and crossed herself.

Then the soldier drew his sword and mercilessly stabbed her.

Christians buried the body of the martyr with honors.

The Orthodox Church observes