Saint Kyriaki Icon – Arched, Engraved Silver, Gold & Wood

Description

Saint Kyriaki, also known as Kyriaki the Great Martyr, was born on a Sunday to a wealthy and devout Christian family; thus, lending to her name being Kyriaki (or Sunday in English) after the Lord’s Day. According to tradition, Kyriaki was devoted to her faith and the Lord from a young age, telling her many suitors that she had committed herself to Jesus Christ and would not be married.

Though Kyriaki had been clear that she did not intend to marry, a magistrate of Nicomedia wanted to marry her to his son. Again, Kyriaki replied that she had committed herself to the Lord and would not marry. This angered the magistrate, leading him to tell Emperor Diocletian that Kyriaki and her family were practicing Christians. Emperor Diocletian responded by ordering the arrest of Kyriaki and her family, after they refused to acknowledge the pagan gods. Her parents, Dorotheus and Eusebia, were then exiled to Melitene while Kyriaki was sent to be interrogated by Maximian in Nicomedia.

During this interrogation, Kyriaki was whipped and tortured; hung by her hair while soldiers held fire to her body. But at night while she was in her cell, Christ appeared and healed Kyriaki of her wounds. The following day her captors believed that the pagan gods had healed her and took her to the temple so that she may give her thanks, but instead she prayed to God, asking that He destroy the false idols. Following her prayer an earthquake occurred, toppling the idols and breaking them into tiny pieces. She was again tortured following this, through various methods including being thrown upon a fire. When no harm came to Kyriaki during her torture, she was sentenced to death. Prior to her death she prayed once again to God, asking that he receive her soul. Her soul was received by an angel into the heavens before the sword was able to strike her neck and end her life. She is depicted holding a cross, as is customary in icons of martyred saints. The cross represents the Crucifixion of Christ and his sacrifice, as well as the sacrifice of the martyred saint for Christianity. The Eastern Orthodox Churches commemorate Saint Kyriaki on July 7, while the Catholic Church commemorates her on July 6.