Wonderworker10th century

Saint Philotheus the Presbyter

10th century

Also known as Philotheus of Asia Minor

A married priest and father of Bithynia known for prayer, fasting, charity, and wonderworking.

September 15New Calendar

Feast Day

September 28Old Calendar

Suggest a correction Contribute

Icon galleryBrowse icons and imagery elsewhere

Commemorated as

Our Venerable Father Philotheus the Presbyter, the Wonderworker

Life

Saint Philotheus the Presbyter was a tenth-century married priest of Bithynia in Asia Minor, remembered for a life of prayer, fasting, and charity. He lived in the village of Mravin, also called Myrmix.

Unlike celibate monastic clergy, Philotheus served as a married parish priest and was the father of children, ministering within an ordinary family and community setting. The synaxarion records that he continually fed the hungry and aided the needy.

On account of the holiness of his life he was granted the gift of working miracles and came to be venerated as a wonderworker. He reposed in peace, and myrrh is reported to have flowed from his relics afterward. He is commemorated on September 15.

Troparion & Kontakion2 hymnsReadHide

TroparionTone 1

O pure and holy Philotheus, you were a lover of God,
and now glorified by the Holy Spirit,
you work miracles to save from harm all who cry to you:
Glory to him who has glorified you!
Glory to him who has made you wonderful!
Glory to him who through you works healings for all!

Text used with permission of the Orthodox Church in America (oca.org).

KontakionTone 2

You ended your life in righteousness
and were a lover of God.
O holy Philotheus, having received power to work wonders,
pray unceasingly for us all!

Text used with permission of the Orthodox Church in America (oca.org).

Contributions & Legacy

3 contributionsReadHide

Life and Ministry

According to the synaxarion, Philotheus lived in the tenth century in the village of Mravin, also known as Myrmix, in Bithynia, a region of Asia Minor. He was a priest who was married and had children, which distinguished him from the celibate monastic clergy more commonly celebrated in Orthodox hagiography.

He devoted himself to prayer and fasting alongside his pastoral duties, and he was especially known for works of charity, continually feeding the hungry and assisting those in need. The tradition presents his sanctity as expressed through this sustained care for the poor rather than through withdrawal from the world.

Veneration as Wonderworker

Because of his holy life, the tradition holds that Philotheus received from God the gift of working miracles, and he is named in the liturgical calendar with the title Wonderworker.

He died in peace. After his death, myrrh is said to have flowed from his relics, a phenomenon understood in Orthodox tradition as a sign of divine blessing and of the saint's continued intercession.

Sources and Commemoration

Saint Philotheus is commemorated on September 15 in the Eastern Orthodox calendar, where he is listed among the saints of the tenth century and associated with Asia Minor. His commemoration is recorded in synaxarion references for that date.

No dedicated biographical article exists for him in major online reference works such as Wikipedia or OrthodoxWiki, and no dedicated post appears in the Mystagogy Resource Center archive, reflecting his relative obscurity in the secondary Orthodox hagiographic literature available online.

Related SaintsShowHide

Browse other saints who share his calling and place.

More Farmers38 More Wonderworkers205 More Asia Minor361 More Priests383 More Byzantine Saints1282

Sources: OCA Synaxarion (oca.org), Lives of the Saints