Sts. Cyril and Methodius

Cyril and Methodius were brothers who grew up in Greece. Cyril became a priest and Methodius a monk, and both were sent to Russia as missionaries. The inhabitants of Russia in the ninth century did not have a written language, so it was difficult to teach them Scripture or the Catechism. Cyril and Methodius worked together to learn the many varieties of the Slavonic languages, create an alphabet, and translate the Scriptures. They worked hard to preach the Gospel and celebrate the sacraments in ways that the people would understand.

Dates: ca. 825–869; ca. 826–884
Feast: Feb. 14
Virtues: Industriousness