Martyr
Holy Martyr Marcella
July 22 Old CalendarAugust 4 New Calendar
Life
On the island of Chios this holy woman enjoys enormous veneration. In her church miracles occur every year. Yet her life is not well known. According to Tradition, Marcella was an extraordinarily pious maiden who was orphaned of her mother at a young age. Her pagan and beastly father desired to live with his daughter as with a wife. Marcella fled from her father. But he, enraged like a very beast, overtook her and cut her to pieces. Near her church there are certain stones that from time to time become as if saturated with blood. The people take these stones, bring them into the church, pray to Saint Marcella, and place them upon the sick, who are thereby healed.
From the Prologue from Ochrid by St. Nikolai Velimirovich, July 22. Translated by Marcian Sakarya, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Also commemorated on July 22
The full reading for July 22 includes the hymn of praise, a reflection, a contemplation and a homily.
Open July 22 in the reader