Paraskeva of the Balkans
Paraskeva of the Balkans | |
|---|---|
Icon of St Petka, Klisura Monastery, Bulgaria | |
| Venerable | |
| Born | Epivates (modern-day Selimpaşa, Istanbul, Turkey) |
| Died | 11th century Kallikrateia (modern-day Greece) |
| Venerated in | Eastern Orthodox Church |
| Major shrine | Metropolitan Cathedral of Iaşi, Romania; Church of St Paraskeva, Nesebar, Bulgaria |
| Feast | 14 October 27 October |
| Patronage | embroiderers, needle workers, spinners, weavers |
Paraskeva of the Balkans, alternatively known as Petka, was an ascetic female saint of the 11th century. She was born in Epivates, near present-day Istanbul, and, according to legends, had hallucinations of the Virgin Mary, referred to as "visions" by some believers. After living in Chalcedon and Heraclea Pontica, she settled in a convent in the desert near the Jordan River. An angel told her to return to her homeland, and two years later she died at the age of 27. The cult of Saint Paraskeva began to spread in the 14th century from Bulgaria into the Danubian Principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia. There was confusion over her identity and attributes because her Greek name Παρασκευή "Paraskeuḗ, Paraskevi" means "Friday," and translations in other languages, such as Romanian and Serbian, were "Saint Friday". Her cult continues to be celebrated in many Orthodox countries, and her feast day is commemorated on October 14 in the Eastern Orthodox Church.