Holy Martyrs Theodotus and seven virgin martyrs, Tecus, Alexandra, Claudia, Phaena, Euphrasia, Matrona, and Julia. Theodotus was married and was an innkeeper in Ancyra during the reign of Emperor Diocletian. Although he was married, he lived according to the words of the apostle: “From now on, let those who have wives be as though they had none” (1 Cor 7:29). And he kept an inn so that he could help Christians as best he could without suspicion. His inn was a refuge for the persecuted faithful. Theodotus secretly sent aid to the Christians who had fled to the mountains, and secretly collected the bodies of the dead and buried them. At that time, seven virgins were brought to trial and tortured for Christ, they were tortured, mocked, and finally drowned in a lake. One of them, Saint Tecusa, appeared to Theodotus in a dream and told him to take their bodies out of the lake and bury them. After a dark night, Theodotus went with a friend to fulfill the will of the martyr, and, guided by the angel of God, he succeeded in finding all seven bodies and burying them. But that friend betrayed him to the judge, and the judge put him to severe torture. But Theodotus endured all the tortures as if he were in someone else's body, having his whole mind absorbed in the Lord. When the torturer turned his whole body into wounds and broke his teeth with stones, he ordered that he be cut with a sword. When he was led to the place of execution, many Christians wept for him, and Saint Theodotus said to them: “Do not weep for me, brothers, but glorify our Lord Jesus Christ, who will help me complete the feat and defeat the enemy.” – Having said this, he laid his head on a stump under the sword, and was beheaded in the year 303. A certain priest honorably buried the martyr’s body on a hill outside the city. A church was later built on that site in the name of Saint Theodotus. (see June 7).

Holy Martyrs Peter, Dionysius, Andrew, Paul and Christina. Holy Martyrs Heraclius, Paulinus and Venedim