Sts. Cyril and Methodius

The brothers Constantine, who took the name Cyril as a monk, and Methodius grew up in Thessaloniki speaking Greek and the Slavic tongue of the countryside. In 863 the prince of Moravia asked for teachers, and St. Photios sent them. Cyril created an alphabet for the Slavs, and together they translated the Gospels and the services so people could hear God praised in their own language. They defended that work against those who allowed worship only in Hebrew, Greek and Latin. Cyril died in Rome in 869, and Methodius worked on as archbishop until 885. Their disciples carried their work to Bulgaria and from there to Serbia and Rus’.

• Feast: May 11 (New Calendar)
• Lived: 9th century
• Place: Velehrad, Moravia