Orthodox · † 386
Holy Hierarch Cyrill, Archbishop of Jerusalem
Commemorated: March 31 (March 18, Old Style)
Life
Cyril became bishop of Jerusalem c. 350, under the emperor Constantius II. He is best known for his Catechetical Lectures, the instructions he gave to those preparing for baptism, and for his letter to the emperor describing a cross of light that appeared over Jerusalem one Pentecost, stretching from Golgotha to the Mount of Olives.
In the disputes of his time he clashed with Acacius of Caesarea, a leader of the Arian party, who also claimed authority over Jerusalem. During a famine Cyril sold church valuables to buy grain, and this was used to depose him. He was exiled three times, under Constantius, Julian and Valens, and returned for good under Theodosius. He governed his church for eight more years and died in 386.
Places
- Place of birth: Jerusalem
- Place of death: Jerusalem
Retold briefly in our own words from: the Lives of the Saints by St Dimitry of Rostov (1902–1916).
The commemorations of the day: Ponomar (ponomar.net), CC BY-SA 3.0.
Places and years: Wikidata (CC0), each saint matched by hand.