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May 8 in Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendars is a feast day and a day of commemoration of saints and martyrs. Although some Orthodox churches use the Revised Julian Calendar and others use the traditional Julian calendar, the fixed commemorations for their respective May8 are broadly the same, no matter which calendar is used.

Saints

Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian, the "beloved disciple" of the Lord ()May 8/21. Orthodox Calendar (PRAVOSLAVIE.RU).Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian. OCA - Feasts and Saints.Ὁ Ἅγιος Ἰωάννης ὁ Θεολόγος ἡ Ἀπόστολος καὶ Εὐαγγελιστής. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ. The holy group of Soldier Martyrs.Ἡ Ἁγία σπείρα Στρατιωτῶν οἱ Μάρτυρες. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ. Saint Augustina the Martyr, in Byzantium.Ἡ Ἁγία Αὐγουστίνη ἡ Μάρτυς ἡ ἐν Βυζαντίῳ. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ. Saint Agathius of Byzantium (Acacius) (303)May 8 , The Roman Martyrology. Saint Emilia (375), mother of saints Macrina, Basil the Great, Naucratius, Peter of Sebaste, and Gregory of Nyssa.Bishop Nikolaj Velimirović. The Prologue from Ohrid - May 8. Saint Arsenius the Great, of Scetis (448)Ὁ Ὅσιος Ἀρσένιος ὁ Μέγας. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ. Saint Hierax (Ierakos) of Egypt (5th century) Saint Milles the Melodist (hymnographer), monk.Ὁ Ὅσιος Μῆλος (ἢ Μαλλός) ὁ Ὑμνωδός, ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.

Pre-Schism Western saints

Hieromartyr Dionysius of Vienne (193)Ὁ Ἅγιος Διονύσιος ὁ Ἱερομάρτυρας, ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.May 8. Latin Saints of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Rome. Martyr Victor of Milan (Victor the Moor, Victor Maurus) () Saint Helladius of Auxerre (387)Ὁ Ἅγιος Ἑλλάδιος Ἐπίσκοπος Ὡξέρρης, ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ. Saint Gybrian (Gobrian) of Ireland, Priest (509)Rev. Sabine Baring-Gould (M.A.). "S. GIBRIAN, P.C. (A.D. 409.)." In: The Lives of the Saints. Volume the Fifth: May. London: John C. Nimmo, 1898. p. 114. Saint Desideratus, successor of St Arcadius as Bishop of Bourges, in France (550) Saint Iduberga (Itta), foundress of Nivelles Abbey, Belgium (652)Rev. Sabine Baring-Gould (M.A.). "S. IDUBERGA OR ITTA, MAT. (A.D. 652.)." In: The Lives of the Saints. Volume the Fifth: May. London: John C. Nimmo, 1898. p. 116. Saint Benedict II, Pope of Rome (685) Hieromartyr Indract of Glastonbury, and his companions at Shapwick (c. 7th or 8th century)May 21 / May 8, HOLY TRINITY RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH (A parish of the Patriarchate of Moscow) (see also: February 5) Saints Wiro, Bishop of Utrecht (710),Rev. Sabine Baring-Gould (M.A.). "S. WIRO, B. (7TH CENT.)." In: The Lives of the Saints. Volume the Fifth: May. London: John C. Nimmo, 1898. pp. 116-117. and Plechelm (730), missionary bishops, and Hierodeacon Otger (8th century), in the Maas Valley at Limburg. Saint Macarius of Ghent, Archbishop (1012) МАКАРИЙ ГЕНТСКИЙ. Открытая православная энциклопедия "Древо" (Open Orthodox Encyclopedia "The Tree") Retrieved: February 23, 2026.

Post-Schism Orthodox saints

Saint Pimen the Faster, of the Far Caves in Kiev () Venarable Cassian, recluse and faster of the Kiev Caves (13th-14th centuries)Ὁ Ὅσιος Κασσιανὸς ὁ Ἔγκλειστος, ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ. Saint Arsenius the Lover of Labor, of the Kiev Caves (14th century)Ὁ Ὅσιος Ἀρσένιος ὁ ἐν τῇ Λαύρᾳ τοῦ Κιέβου ἀσκήσας, ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ. Saints Zosima and Adrian of Volokolamsk, founders of the Sestrinsk monastery on the banks of the River Sestra (15th-16th centuries)Οἱ Ὅσιοι Ζωσιμᾶς καὶ Ἀνδριανός, ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ. Holy Georgian Martyrs of Persia (17th-18th centuries)

New martyrs and confessors

Martyr Nicephorus Zaitsev (1942) ЗАЙЦЕВ НИКИФОР ПЕТРОВИЧ. Открытая православная энциклопедия "Древо" (Open Orthodox Encyclopedia "The Tree") Retrieved: February 23, 2026. 8 мая (ст.ст.) 21 мая 2013 (нов. ст.). Русская Православная Церковь Отдел внешних церковных связей. (DECR).

Other commemorations

Commemoration of the miraculous healing of blinded Stephen by the Icon of the Most Holy Theotokos of Cassiopia, Corfu (1530)Μνήμη Θαύματος τῆς σεβασμίας εἰκόνος τῆς Ὑπεραγίας Θεοτόκου, ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ. КАССОПИТРА, ИКОНА БОЖИЕЙ МАТЕРИ. Открытая православная энциклопедия "Древо" (Open Orthodox Encyclopedia "The Tree") Retrieved: February 23, 2026. Translation of the relics (1785) of St. Arsenius of Novgorod, Fool-for-Christ (1570)Ὁ Ὅσιος Ἀρσένιος ὁ διὰ Χριστὸν Σαλός, ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ. Repose of Hiero-schemamonk Michael of Valaam, Confessor for the Orthodox Calendar (1934)

Icon gallery

Notes

References

Sources May 8/21. Orthodox Calendar (PRAVOSLAVIE.RU). May 21 / May 8. HOLY TRINITY RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH (A parish of the Patriarchate of Moscow). May 8. OCA - The Lives of the Saints. May 8. Latin Saints of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Rome. May 8. The Roman Martyrology. Greek Sources Great Synaxaristes: 8 ΜΑΪΟΥ, ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ. Συναξαριστής. 8 Μαΐου. ECCLESIA.GR. (H ΕΚΚΛΗΣΙΑ ΤΗΣ ΕΛΛΑΔΟΣ). Russian Sources 21 мая (8 мая). Православная Энциклопедия под редакцией Патриарха Московского и всея Руси Кирилла (электронная версия). (Orthodox Encyclopedia - Pravenc.ru). 8 мая (ст.ст.) 21 мая 2013 (нов. ст.). Русская Православная Церковь Отдел внешних церковных связей. (DECR).