Paraskevi
From MedBib.com - Medicine & Nature
Icon of Saint Paraskevi (considered to be a healer of the blind and therefore shown holding a plate with two eyeballs) with
votive offerings.
Paraskevi ("(Good) Friday" in Greek) is a female name. Variations include Pascha, Petka, Paraskeva, Praskovia, Praskovie, Pyatnitsa and Pyetka
There are many glorified saints by this name (Greek: Αγία Παρασκευή, Aghia Paraskevi; Russian: Svyeta Paraskeva-Pyatnitsa Bulgarian: Света Петка Параскева; Serbian: Света Петка Параскева). Among them:
- A second-century martyr of Rome, especially venerated among the Greeks. The Athens suburb of Agia Paraskevi is named after her. She is considered to be a healer of the blind, because of the miracle she performed in restoring the sight of Antonius Pius, who had earlier tortured her. Then Antonius Pius, humbled by the miracle, freed the Saint and ended all persecutions against the Christians throughout the Roman Empire. She was martyred during the rule of Marcus Aurelius after the persecution of Christians resumed. Her feast day is July 26.
- The sister of St. Photina the Samaritan Woman. She was martyred when Nero was the Roman emperor. Feast day is March 20[1].
- A third-century martyr from Iconium, a favorite of Russians, who consider her the patron saint of traders and guardian of family happiness. Her feast day is October 28, nicknamed Paraskeva-"Pyatnitsa" (that means "Friday").
- An eleventh-century ascetic. Of Serbian origin, she was born in the town of Epibata on the shore of the Sea of Marmara, near the imperial city of Constantinople. She became an ascetic and lived in the wilderness many years, returning to Epibata two years before her death. She is beloved particularly in the Balkans. Her incorrupt relics were placed in the Church of the Three Holy Hierarchs and later in the Metropolitan Cathedral, Iaşi, Romania and her feast day is October 14. Alternate forms of her name include:
- Petka Paraskeva
- Petka Biogradska (as her relics remained in Belgrade for sometime)
- Petca Parasceva the New of Bulgaria
- Paraskeva the Younger
- Paraskeva Pyatnitsa
They are recognized by the Eastern Orthodox Church. Both Russian and Balkan Paraskevas were merged with old slavic pagan female deity of Friday[1]. Her name was Pyatnitsa, Petka and other slavic forms of word "Friday" (with root "p-t" — "five"). Goddess Pyatnitsa was similar to Mokosh.
See also
Significant churches dedicated to St. Paraskevi
External links
References
