Orthodox Icon of St. Filofteia of Romania

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December 7th
Troparion (Tone 8)
By thy patience thou didst acquire thy reward, O blessed Filofteia, in enduring unceasing temptations and buffetings and in graciously bearing adversity. Thou who gavest alms to the poor and food to the hungry, pray to Christ God, O holy maiden, to save our souls.

Filofteia was born to a farmer and his wife in Trnovo, Bulgaria, around 1206. Her mother was from Wallachia (Romania). She gave Filofteia an excellent grounding in the Orthodox Faith, training her especially in the graces of faithfulness in attending the services of the Church and of almsgiving. When Filofteia was yet a little girl, her godly mother fell asleep in the Lord. Her father remarried. Her stepmother resented Filofteia's often church attendance and grew irritated with her giving her good clothes and food to the poor children who would beg from her in the street. She would scold Filofteia and complain about her to her father, who would also scold her. This did not discourage the young saint and her piety in public was matched with prayer and fasting at home as well. One of Filofteia's responsibilities was to take her father's lunch to him as he was working in the field. She could not restrain herself from sharing a little of it with the orphans in the street, while on her way. Her father noticed that all the food did not reach him and complained to his wife. She told him to ask his daughter what she did with the food. He became angry with his daughter and decided to spy on her while she was bringing him his lunch. He saw her sharing his food with some poor children who came to her. Instead of participating in this blessing and receiving grace, he was moved with rage, and threw his hatchet at his godly daughter. It struck her in the leg, mortally wounding her. Immediately the farmer was filled with remorse and fear. He tried to lift her young body. But it was miraculously as heavy as stone; and would not be moved. He ran to the Archbishop of Trnovo and confessed his sin. All of the clergy, with a crowd of people went out to the body with incense and candles to take up Filofteia and carry her to the cathedral. No one could move her from the spot. So the clergy said prayers to God and the Martyr, naming various monasteries, churches and cathedrals throughout the whole region to see where her holy relics wished to be. They finally named the Monastery of Curtea de Arges. Filofteia's body immediately became light and could be moved. They placed it in a coffin for veneration at the cathedral, then took it in solemn procession to the Danube. The Romanian clergy met them there and completed the journey to Arges. Many times St. Filofteia's relics have been responsible for bringing rain to a drought stricken area of Romania. She is portrayed here with her father's lunch basket and his hatchet, which were the occasion and instrument of her martyrdom and entry into eternal life.

This icon is by the hand of Nicholas Papas. This icon is one of the "cloud of witnesses" at St. Philip's Antiochian Orthodox Church, Souderton, Pennsylvania.

Order #phn-73