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Saints & Church Fathers

Ss. Cyril & Methodius (9th c.)

Ss. Cyril & Methodius (9th c.), by Velko Iliev, circa 1888
Cyril and Methodius Icon in Saint Paraskeva Church in Nivyanin by Velko Iliev, circa 1888 Velko Iliev, circa 1888 Public domain

Greek brothers from Thessalonica, 'Apostles to the Slavs.' St. Cyril created the Glagolitic alphabet (basis of Cyrillic) to translate Scripture and liturgical texts into Old Church Slavonic. They evangelized Moravia, Bohemia, and the Slavic world, establishing the Slavonic liturgical tradition. Their work made Orthodoxy accessible to Slavic peoples. Feast: May 11.

Sources

  • Vita Constantini (Life of St. Cyril, 9th c. Slavonic hagiography)
  • Vita Methodii (Life of St. Methodius, 9th c. Slavonic hagiography)
  • Timothy Ware, The Orthodox Church (Ch. on Slavic Christianity) archive.org

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