Beside saint names in the church calendar you may see short labels. They do not measure personal holiness. They describe the path by which the Church remembers that saint: preaching, pastoral care, monastic life, mercy or witness under persecution.
How to read the ranks
Apostles and Equals-to-the-Apostles
Apostles proclaimed the Gospel after Christ's Resurrection. Equals-to-the-Apostles are saints who spread the Christian faith with exceptional missionary labour, such as Saints Constantine and Helen or Saint Nina.
Prophets and Evangelists
Prophets spoke God's will before Christ's earthly coming. The Evangelists Matthew, Mark, Luke and John wrote the Gospels.
Martyrs and Great Martyrs
Martyrs suffered for confessing Christ. Great Martyrs endured especially severe and prolonged suffering; Saint George the Victorious, the patron saint of our church, belongs to this rank.
Confessors, Hieromartyrs and New Martyrs
Confessors endured persecution but died peacefully. Hieromartyrs are clergy who suffered for Christ. New Martyrs are those who suffered for the faith in more recent persecutions, especially after the Russian Revolution.
Saints, Venerables and Righteous
Saints are bishops remembered for holy life and pastoral service. Venerables are saints of monastic prayer and ascetic labour. Righteous saints pleased God while living in the world, often in family and ordinary work.
Unmercenaries, Wonderworkers and Blessed Fools
Unmercenaries served people freely, often through healing. Wonderworkers are especially remembered for help received through their prayers. Blessed fools for Christ embraced a difficult path of humility.
Common calendar abbreviations
| Label | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Ap. | Apostle |
| Prophet | Prophet |
| Equal-to-Apostles | Equal-to-the-Apostles |
| St. | Saint or bishop |
| Ven. | Venerable |
| Righteous | Righteous |
| Martyr | Martyr |
| Great Martyr | Great Martyr |
| Hieromartyr | Martyr from the clergy |
| Venerable Martyr | Martyr from monastic life |
| Confessor | Confessor |
| New Martyr | New Martyr |
| Unmercenary | Unmercenary healer |
| Wonderworker | Wonderworker |
| Passion-bearer | Passion-bearer |
Using this on our site
Open the church calendar to see the saints remembered today, their icons and links to the source pages. The Russian calendar retains the traditional Russian abbreviations; this page gives their meaning in English.
For further reading, see the Azbyka Vera article on sanctity, used as a source for this guide.