Holy Wonderworkers and Unmercenaries Cyrus and John, and with Them the Martyr Athanasia and Her Daughters Theodotia, Theoctista and Eudoxia (+311)

The holy Unmercenary Cyrus was born and grew up in Alexandria. A Christian physician, he healed all the sick without payment of illnesses of body and soul, preached the teaching of the Gospel, and converted many pagans to the true law. During the persecution under Diocletian (284–305) Cyrus went to the Arabian desert, was tonsured a monk, and continued his labours tirelessly, for which he was granted by the Lord the grace of healing every kind of illness.

At that time there lived in the city of Edessa a pious Christian soldier, John. When the persecution began, he went to Jerusalem, where he heard of Saint Cyrus and was fired with the desire to see him. After a long search he found the monk living in seclusion in the desert and became his faithful disciple. Once the fathers learned that in the Egyptian city of Canopus a Christian woman, Athanasia, had been seized together with her three daughters, Theoctista, Theodotia and Eudoxia. The holy fathers visited the martyrs in prison and encouraged them. When the governor of the city learned of this, he arrested Cyrus and John. For courageously confessing the true faith they were first cruelly tortured, and then put to death (+311).