Feast Day: September 1st
The Life of the Forty Virgin Martyrs and the Deacon Ammon: By their daily Ascetic struggles, by their Prayers, Vigils, and fasting, the seed of Faith rooted, sprouted, and blossomed in the fertile ground of the virgins’ Souls. Steadfast Faith, precise keeping of Christ’s Commandments, and Obedience to their pious Spiritual Father Ammoun, made them as pure as lilies. This purity invites and hosts the two theological virtues of humility and love, which further house the Trinity in the Christian heart…
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Prayers
Dismissal Hymn: O athletes of Christ, come and participate, and the Forty Maidens, along with Pious Ammoun, exalt with glorious festivities, for they fought the great fight, and by their Ascesis in Christ, were made powerful and radiant. Intercede to the Lord, for the Salvation of our Souls.
Prayer: Let us all hymn Deacon Ammoun, Athena and Antigone, Elpinike, Moscho, Haido, Harikleia, with Pandora, Lambro, Kalliste, Troada, and Dodone, Erasmia, Erato, Kleonike and Thaleia, Marianthe, Evterpe, Arivea, Akrive with Aspasia, let us praise with joyous songs.
Saint Ammoun the Deacon, in order to strengthen them for Martyrdom, took a paper with their names on it and read them aloud one by one. Then he said: “Strive for Christ through Martyrdom, for in this way the Master Christ at the gate of the Heavenly Kingdom will call you by name, one by one, in order to bestow upon you a Crown of Eternal Life.”
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Saint Laurencia the Deaconess, Saint Celsina, Saint Theoclia, Saint Theoctista, Saint Dorothy, Saint Euthychia, Saint Thecla, Saint Aristaineta, Saint Philadelphia, Saint Mary, Saint Veronica, Saint Euthymia, Saint Lamprotatia, Saint Euphemia, Saint Theodora, Saint Theodota, Saint Teteia, Saint Aquilina, Saint Theodulia, Saint Aplodora, Saint Lampadia, Saint Procopia, Saint Paula, Saint Junilla, Saint Ampliana, Saint Persissa, Saint Polynicia, Saint Maura, Saint Gregoria, Saint Cyria, Saint Bassa, Saint Callinica, Saint Barbara, Saint Cyriacia, Saint Agathonica, Saint Justa, Saint Irene, Saint Matrona, Saint Timothea, Saint Tatiana, Saint Anna.
There are some variations of their names in different manuscripts…
Adamantine, Athena, Akrive, Antigone, Arivea, Aspasia, Aphrodite, Dione, Dodone, Elpinike, Erasmia, Erato, Ermeneia, Evterpe, Thaleia, Theanoe, Theano, Theonymphe, Theophane, Kalliroe, Kalliste, Kleio, Kleonike, Kleopatra, Koralia, Lambro, Margarita, Marianthe, Melpomene, Moscho, Ourania, Pandora, Penelope, Polymnia, Polynike, Sapfo, Terpsichore, Troada, Haido, and Harikleia.
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Saint Adamantine the Virgin Martyr
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Saint Athena the Virgin Martyr
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Saint Akrive the Virgin Martyr
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Saint Antigone the Virgin Martyr
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Saint Aspasia the Virgin Martyr
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Saint Aphrodite the Virgin Martyr
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Saint Elpinike the Virgin Martyr
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Saint Erasmia the Virgin Martyr
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Saint Evterpe the Virgin Martyr
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Saint Thaleia the Virgin Martyr
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Saint Theanoe the Virgin Martyr
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Saint Kleio the Virgin Martyr
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Saint Kleopatra the Virgin Martyr
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Saint Koralia the Virgin Martyr
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Saint Margarita the Virgin Martyr
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Saint Marianthe the Virgin Martyr
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Saint Melpomene the Virgin Martyr
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Saint Ourania the Virgin Martyr
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Saint Pandora the Virgin Martyr
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Saint Penelope the Virgin Martyr
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Saint Harikleia the Virgin Martyr
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