Virgin Martyr
Saint Paraskevi of Rome
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The holy virgin who preached Christ and remained steadfast through severe persecution.
Core account checked against Orthodox Church in America — Martyr Paraskevi of Rome, The Prologue from Ohrid — July 26. Additional ecclesiastical references appear below.
Life and Witness
Life and Historical Setting
Saint Paraskevi dedicated her life and inheritance to the service of Christ and the poor. She proclaimed the Gospel, endured many torments for refusing idolatry, and received the crown of martyrdom.
Miracles, Relics and Places of Veneration
Her cult became especially strong in Greece and the Balkans, with numerous churches and local traditions concerning portions of her relics. Only locations supported by ecclesiastical testimony should be named; popular healing stories are not treated as verified medical records.
Iconography and Spiritual Meaning
Orthodox iconography presents the saint with the Cross of confession. The image does not glorify suffering by itself; it proclaims fidelity to Christ, forgiveness of persecutors and the victory of resurrection over death.
Feast Day
July 26 — Saint Paraskevi of Rome.
From the Orthodox Synaxarion
The Prologue from Ohrid remembers Paraskevi as a missionary virgin who distributed her inheritance to the poor. Her name, associated with Friday and preparation, became linked in the Church with steadfast preparation for the Kingdom through confession and martyrdom.
Historical Record and Ecclesiastical Tradition
The Roman origin, missionary preaching and martyrdom of Paraskevi belong to the received Greek Orthodox Synaxarion, whose detailed sequence of rulers and torments has variant forms. Her association with healing of the eyes is reported as ecclesiastical devotion, while similarly named saints—especially Paraskevi of Iconium—are kept distinct.
Biographical information on this page is based exclusively on the Orthodox ecclesiastical sources listed below.
Orthodox Church in America — Martyr Paraskevi of RomeThe Prologue from Ohrid — July 26