Saints Cyril and Methodius
Saint Cyril: c. 827–869
Saint Methodius: c. 815–885
Feast Day: February 14 (Roman Catholic);
May 11 (Eastern Orthodox Church)
Patronage: Co-Patrons of Europe; Slavic peoples; translators; teachers; scholars; linguists; and ecumenical dialogue.
Saints Cyril, a monk, and Methodius, a bishop, were learned Greek brothers from Thessalonica who evangelized the Slavic people. To make the Word of God accessible to everyone, Saint Cyril devised the Glagolitic (Slavic) alphabet, which is still used in some Eastern liturgies today. Together, they translated the Gospels, Saint Paul's letters, and several liturgical books into the Slavic language. Following Saint Cyril's death, Saint Methodius continued their missionary work for 16 years despite opposition from German and French bishops. Before his death, he completed the translation of the entire Bible into Slavic. Pope John Paul II declared them the "Apostles of the Slavs.”
