May 20 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)

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May 20 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 May20 are broadly the same, no matter which calendar is used.

Saints

Saint Lydia of Thyatira (Lydia of Philippi), mentioned in Acts 16:14-15 (1st century)Great Synaxaristes: Ἡ Ἁγία Λυδία ἡ Φιλιππησία. 20 Μαΐου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.Saint Lydia of Philippi. OCA - The Lives of the Saints. ЛИДИЯ ФИЛИППИЙСКАЯ. Открытая православная энциклопедия "Древо" (Open Orthodox Encyclopedia "The Tree") Retrieved: March 20, 2026. Martyrs Thalelaeus the Unmercenary, and his companions Alexander and Asterius, at Aegae in Cilicia (284)May 20/June 2. Orthodox Calendar (PRAVOSLAVIE.RU).Great Synaxaristes: Ὁ Ἅγιος Θαλλέλαιος ὁ ἰατρός καὶ οἱ σὺν αὐτῷ μαρτυρήσαντες Ἀλέξανδρος καί Ἀστέριος. 20 Μαΐου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.Unmercenary Physician Thallelaios at Aegae in Cilicia and his companions, Martyrs Alexander and Asterios. OCA - The Lives of the Saints.May 20. The Roman Martyrology.Rev. Sabine Baring-Gould (M.A.). "SS. THALLELÆUS AND COMP., MM. (A.D. 284.)." In: The Lives of the Saints. Volume the Fifth: May. London: John C. Nimmo, 1898. pp. 307-308. Martyr Asclas of the Thebaid, Egypt (287)Great Synaxaristes: Ὁ Ἅγιος Ἀσκλᾶς ὁ Μάρτυρας. 20 Μαΐου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.Martyr Asclas of Egypt. OCA - The Lives of the Saints. Saints Zabulon and Susanna, of Cappadocia and Jerusalem, parents of St. Nina (Nino), enlightener of Georgia (4th century)Great Synaxaristes: Οἱ Ἅγιοι Ζαβουλών καὶ Σωσσάνη. 20 Μαΐου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.Glorification of Venerable Zabulon and Sosanna, parents of Saint Nino, Enlightener of Georgia. OCA - The Lives of the Saints. Saint Mark the Hermit (Marcus Eremita) (5th century)Great Synaxaristes: Ὁ Ὅσιος Μάρκος ὁ Ἐρημίτης. 20 Μαΐου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ. МАРК ОТШЕЛЬНИК. Открытая православная энциклопедия "Древо" (Open Orthodox Encyclopedia "The Tree") Retrieved: March 20, 2026. Holy Martyrs of Mamilla, Jerusalem (614)Great Synaxaristes: Οἱ Ἅγιοι ἐν Μεμέλᾳ Ἱερουσαλήμ οἱ Μάρτυρες. 20 Μαΐου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ. Saint Thalassius the Myrrh-gusher, of Libya (648)Great Synaxaristes: Ὁ Ὅσιος Θαλάσσιος ὁ Μυροβλύτης. 20 Μαΐου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ. Saints Nicetas, John and Joseph, founders of the Monastery of Nea Moni on Chios (c. 1050)Great Synaxaristes: Οἱ Ὅσιοι Ἰωάννης, Ἰωσὴφ καὶ Νικήτας. 20 Μαΐου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.Hieromonk Makarios of Simonos Petra (Ed.). THE SYNAXARION: The Lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church: VOLUME FIVE - May, June. Transl. from the French by Mother Maria (Rule) and Mother Joanna (Burton). Holy Convent of the Annunciation of Our Lady, Ormylia (Chalkidike), 2005. pp. 220-222.

Pre-Schism Western saints

Saint Plautilla the Roman, martyr, (67)Great Synaxaristes: Ἡ Ἁγία Πλατίλλα ἡ Ρωμαία. 20 Μαΐου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ. Hieromartyr Baudelius, missionary in France and northern Spain, martyred in Nîmes (2nd or 3rd century)Great Synaxaristes: Ὁ Ἅγιος Βαυδέλιος ὁ Ἱερομάρτυρας. 20 Μαΐου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ. Virgin-martyr Basilla (304)May 20. Latin Saints of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Rome.Rev. Sabine Baring-Gould (M.A.). "S. BASILLA, V.M. (3RD CENT.)." In: The Lives of the Saints. Volume the Fifth: May. London: John C. Nimmo, 1898. pp. 306-307. Saint Hilary (Hilarius, Hilaire), Bishop of Toulouse in France (360)Great Synaxaristes: Ὁ Ἅγιος Ἱλάριος Ἐπίσκοπος Τουλούζης. 20 Μαΐου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ. Saint Anastasius, Bishop of Brescia in Lombardy, in Italy (610)Great Synaxaristes: Ὁ Ἅγιος Ἀναστάσιος Ἐπίσκοπος Βρεσκίας. 20 Μαΐου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ. Saint Austregisilus (Aoustrille, Outrille), Bishop of Bourges and Confessor (624)Great Synaxaristes: Ὁ Ἅγιος Οὐλτρίλλος Ἐπίσκοπος Μπουργκές. 20 Μαΐου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ. Saint Theodore of Pavia, Bishop of Pavia (778)Great Synaxaristes: Ὁ Ἅγιος Θεόδωρος Ἐπίσκοπος Παβίας. 20 Μαΐου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ. Martyr Ethelbert (Albert, Albright), King of East Anglia in England (794)Rev. Sabine Baring-Gould (M.A.). "S. ETHELBERT, K. (A.D. 792.)." In: The Lives of the Saints. Volume the Fifth: May. London: John C. Nimmo, 1898. pp. 308-309. (see also May 29) Saint Alcuin of York, monk (804)

Post-Schism Orthodox saints

St. Daumantas of Pskov (Dovmont-Timothy), Prince of Pskov (1299)Great Synaxaristes: Ὁ Ἅγιος Τιμόθεος τοῦ Πσκώφ. 20 Μαΐου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.Blessed Dovmont (Timothy), Prince of Pskov. OCA - The Lives of the Saints. Saint Stephen, Abbot of Piperi Monastery in Serbia (1697)Great Synaxaristes: Ὁ Ὅσιος Στέφανος. 20 Μαΐου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ. СТЕФАН ПИПЕРСКИЙ. Открытая православная энциклопедия "Древо" (Open Orthodox Encyclopedia "The Tree") Retrieved: March 20, 2026.

New martyrs and confessors

New Hieromartyr Pavel Lazarev, martyred on the feast of Pentecost (1919)Russian Synod canonizes New Martyr Pavel Lazarev. Orthodox Christianity. Moscow, December 27, 2019. ЛАЗАРЕВ ПАВЕЛ АНДРЕЕВИЧ. Открытая православная энциклопедия "Древо" (Open Orthodox Encyclopedia "The Tree") Retrieved: March 20, 2026. Священника Павла Лазарева, убитого за отказ снять крест и рясу, прославили как новомученика. Журнал Фома. 27 декабря 2019. New Martyr Olympiada Verbetskaya, Abbess of Kozelshchinsk Convent (uk), Poltava (1938) Олімпіада (Вербецька), ігуменя Козельщанського монастиря. Новини Полтавської Єпархії (News of the Poltava Eparchy). Retrieved: March 20, 2026.

Other commemorations

Translation of the holy relics (1087) of Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker (343)Great Synaxaristes: Μετακομιδὴ Τιμίων Λειψάνων Ἁγίου Νικολάου τοῦ Θαυματουργοῦ. 20 Μαΐου. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ. (see also: May 9) Uncovering of the relics (1431) of St. Alexis, Metropolitan of Kiev and all Rus', Wonderworker (1378)Great Synaxaristes: Ἀνακομιδὴ Τιμίων Λειψάνων Ὁσίου Ἀλεξίου τοῦ θαυματουργοῦ. 20 ΜΑΪΟΥ. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ.Uncovering of the relics of Saint Alexis, Metropolitan of Moscow and Wonderworker of All Russia. OCA - The Lives of the Saints. Repose of Schema-monk Cyriacus of Valaam (1798)

Icon gallery

Notes

References

Sources May 20/June 2. Orthodox Calendar (PRAVOSLAVIE.RU). June 2 / May 20. HOLY TRINITY RUSSIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH (A parish of the Patriarchate of Moscow). May 20. OCA - The Lives of the Saints. May 20. Latin Saints of the Orthodox Patriarchate of Rome. May 20. The Roman Martyrology. Greek Sources Great Synaxaristes: 20 ΜΑΪΟΥ. ΜΕΓΑΣ ΣΥΝΑΞΑΡΙΣΤΗΣ. Συναξαριστής. 20 Μαΐου. ECCLESIA.GR. (H ΕΚΚΛΗΣΙΑ ΤΗΣ ΕΛΛΑΔΟΣ). Russian Sources 2 июня (20 мая). Православная Энциклопедия под редакцией Патриарха Московского и всея Руси Кирилла (электронная версия). (Orthodox Encyclopedia - Pravenc.ru). 20 мая (ст.ст.) 2 июня 2013 (нов. ст.). Русская Православная Церковь Отдел внешних церковных связей. (DECR).