Kyriaki (martyr)

Saint Kyriaki of Nicomedia
A 19th century Bulgarian Orthodox icon of Saint Kyriaki.
Great-Martyr
Born	Nicomedia
Died	289 A.D. Chalcedon
Venerated in	Eastern Orthodox Church Roman Catholicism
Major shrine	Church of St Kyriaki, Istanbul
Feast	7 July
Patronage	patron of Servia, Greece

Saint Kyriaki (Greek: Αγία Κυριακή), also known as Saint Kyriaki the Great Martyr (Greek: Αγία Κυριακή η Μεγαλομάρτυς), is a Christian saint, who martyred under the emperor Diocletian.

Kyriaki was born in Nicomedia to Greek parents Dorotheus and Eusebia. They were devout Christians, wealthy but childless. Unceasing in prayer they obtained a child and since she was born on Sunday, the Lord's Day, she was given the name Kyriaki, the Greek word for Sunday.

From her childhood, Kyriaki consecrated herself to God. As she was a beautiful young woman, many suitors asked for her hand in marriage, but she refused them all saying that she wished to die as a virgin, as she had dedicated herself to Jesus Christ. A magistrate of Nicomedia also wished to betroth Kyriaki to his son, especially since she came from a wealthy family, but when she once more rejected his proposal, he denounced Kyriaki and her parents as Christians to Emperor Diocletian.

Diocletian ordered the family to be arrested and upon their refusal to honor the pagan gods, Dorotheus was beaten until the soldiers grew tired and were unable to continue. Since torment had no effect, Diocletian exiled Dorotheus and Eusebia to Melitene in eastern Anatolia. Kyriaki was sent to Nicomedia to be interrogated by his son-in-law and co-ruler, Maximian, who promised her wealth and marriage to one of Diocletian's relatives if she worshiped the pagan gods. When Kyriaki refused to renounce her faith, Maximian ordered that she be whipped. The soldiers who assumed the flogging had to be replaced three times as they eventually became tired.

Since Maximian failed to convince the young woman to change her faith, he sent her to Hilarion, the eparch of Bithynia, in Chalcedon, either to convert Kyriaki to paganism, or send her back to him. Hilarion tried his best to achieve his goal, including promises and threats, but when all these proved ineffective, he ordered her torture. Kyriaki was suspended by her hair for several hours, while soldiers burned her body with torches. She was finally taken down and thrown into a prison cell. During the night, Jesus Christ appeared to her and healed her wounds. Seeing the miraculous salvation of Kyriaki, many pagans converted to Christianity, but they were all beheaded. The next day, Hilarion announced that the gods had healed her of pity and urged her to go to the temple and give thanks to them. When she was brought to the pagan temple, Kyriaki prayed that God would destroy the idols and a sudden earthquake toppled the idols and shattered them to pieces. Hilarion blasphemed God and then he was struck by lightning and died on the spot.