Saint Irene

Saint Irene lived at the turn of the 3rd-4th centuries and was the daughter of the king Licinius. Before she was baptised, she went by the name Penelope. At a young age, she had a dream in which her martyrdom was foretold. When it became known that she was a Christian, the authorities declared that she was to be put to death. After enduring many tortures, the Saint remained unharmed. As a result, a great crowd of onlookers came to belief in Christ. According to the earliest accounts, Saint Irene was martyred in Thessaloniki by being thrown in to the fire, while the Menologion of Basil II says that she was put to death by beheading. Portions of her Holy Relics can be found at the Monastery of the Theotokos of Kykkos in Cyprus and in the Greek Church of Saint George in Venice. Her memory is honoured on the 5th of May. Work of the iconographer Vegkos Ioannis.