Venerable Euthymius the New, of Thessalonica (+889)

The Venerable Euthymius the New, of Thessalonica (in the world Nicetas), was born in Galatia (Asia Minor). His devout parents, Epiphanius and Anna, brought him up in faithfulness to the Saviour’s commandments. Nicetas was seven years old when he lost his father. After this he stood faithfully by his widowed mother in all her affairs.

After completing his military service the saint married. When a daughter was born to the blessed one, he considered this a sufficient consolation for the family, secretly left his home and made his way to a monastery to labour. Euthymius first settled on Mount Olympus and spent fifteen years there in the God-pleasing labour of prayer and fasting; then he moved to Mount Athos, shut himself up in a cave and spent three years in complete silence. Afterwards the Lord’s chosen one came to Thessalonica and laboured for a long time on a pillar east of the city, on the summit of Mount Peristera. At the Lord’s direction he founded two houses, one for men and one for women, which he governed for fourteen years while in the rank of deacon. The blessed father’s mother and wife became nuns in the convent. Before his end the saint moved to a small island near Athos, where he committed his soul to the Lord in peace in 889. His remains were translated to Thessalonica. The Venerable Euthymius is called the New to distinguish him from the Venerable Euthymius the Great (commemorated 20 January).