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St. Paraskevi |
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Question: I was named for my grandmother, Paraska who came to the U.S. early 1900's from Ukraine. In researching her name, I believe she was probably named for St. Paraskevi but I don't see her name on the list of saints. Could you tell me something about her. |
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Answer:
Dr. Alexander Roman
alex@unicorne.org
St Paraskevi lived in the second century A.D. She was born to childless parents in answer to
their prayers and on Friday which is why she was
called "Paraskevi" which is "Friday" in Greek. Raised in great piety, she became a nun, and
received permission to preach the Gospel. In
what is today Turkey, she was arrested and brought to the
Emperor Antonius Pius who fell in love with her, but Paraskevi
would not give up her faith or her monastic
profession. Even torture would not sway her from her resolve .
. . She was then placed in a cauldron of boiling
pitch, but was unmoved. The Emperor believed
that his soldiers were playing a trick on him and ordered
Paraskevi to throw some of the pitch at him, as if to show that the
pitch wasn't really hot . . . When Paraskevi threw some of the pitch at the
Emperor's face, he went blind and cried out in
utter agony from the pain! He begged Paraskevi to give him his sight back,
and Paraskevi anointed his face and eyes with
cool water - and so the Emperor's sight was restored. She is honoured as the Orthodox patron of
eye-sight and there is a shrine to her that can
be viewed at: www.stparaskevi.org
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Ukrainian Orthodoxy |
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