Paraskevi of Iconium

Saint Paraskevi of Iconium was born in Iconium to a wealthy Christian family. She received the name Paraskevi, meaning “Friday,” because she was baptized on that day—the day the Church remembers the Lord’s Passion. From her youth she dedicated herself to Christ with the purity and courage of a consecrated virgin, desiring that her whole life proclaim the Gospel. According to ancient tradition, Paraskevi led a man named Antoninus to the Christian faith. Her witness soon drew hostility, and during the persecutions under Emperor Diocletian she was arrested and suffered martyrdom in her native city. Her steadfast confession made her beloved among the faithful, and accounts of her passion helped spread devotion to her across the Christian East. Over time her veneration became especially strong among the Slavic peoples, where she was honored as a protector of daily life—associated with traders and fairs, marriage, and the safeguarding of fields and cattle. She is also remembered as patroness of Medvidka. Her feast day is October 28.