Saint Nicholas of Pskov the Fool for Christ (+ 1576)

St. Nicholas of Pskov (Feast Day - February 28)

Venerable Nicholas of Pskov lived the life of a holy fool for more than three decades. Long before his death he acquired the grace of the Holy Spirit and was granted the gifts of wonderworking and of prophecy. The Pskov people of his time called him Mikula [Mikola, Nikola] the Fool. Even during his lifetime they revered him as a saint, even calling him Mikula the saintly.

In February 1570, after a devastating campaign against Novgorod, Tsar Ivan the Terrible moved against Pskov, suspecting the inhabitants of treason. As the Pskov Chronicler relates, “the Tsar came ... with great fierceness, like a roaring lion, to tear apart innocent people and to shed much blood.”

Holy Six Martyrs of Egypt

Holy Six Martyrs of Egypt (Feast Day - February 28)

Verses

It was written of the six Egyptians they died by the sword,
In time they will write their contests and lives.

The Holy Six Martyrs of Egypt met their end by the sword.

Holy Martyr Abrikios

St. Abrikios the Martyr (Feast Day - February 28)

Verses

Abrikios is decapitated by the sword as a worshiper of Christ,
Putting the worshipers of the gods to shame.

The Holy Martyr Abrikios (or Abirkios) met his end by the sword.

Saint Barsos, Bishop of Damascus

St. Barsos of Damascus (Feast Day - February 28)

Verses

Departing life with a festive flow,
Barsos keeps festival together with angels.

Venerable Barsos (or Bar-Jesus), Bishop of Damascus, met his end in peace.

Saint Raphael (Hawaweeny), Bishop of Brooklyn (+ 1915)

St. Raphael of Brooklyn (Feast Day - February 27)

Saint Raphael (Hawaweeny), the first Orthodox bishop consecrated in the New World, was born in Beirut, on or near the Synaxis of the Archangels, November 8, 1860, to pious Orthodox parents, Michael and Mariam Hawaweeny. Due to the violent persecution of the Christians of Damascus in July, 1860, which saw the martyrdom of the Hawaweeny family's parish priest, the New Hieromartyr Joseph of Damascus, and hundreds of their neighbors (all are commemorated on July 11), Michael and his pregnant wife Mariam fled from Damascus to Beirut. It was here that the future saint first saw the light of day. Indeed as the child's life unfolded, it was evident that he would have no continuing city in this world, but would seek the city which is to come (Hebrews 13:14).