Just as Therese, the cloistered Little Flower is pouring her heavenly help down upon missionaries Paraskeva, the virgin martyr pursues her maternity throughout eternity. Paraskeva, Virgin-martyr quickly became, in the hearts of her devotees, Mother Friday. The rich, often unfounded devotions that spring up around saints present a fantastic introduction to the nature and heavenly interests of these holy people. Indeed, it’s always problematic to limit a saint to the mere facts of their lives and deaths. That is really all we know about Paraskeva Pyatnitsa, Paraskeva-Friday but her legend and cult were never limited by lack of information. Named by Christian parents for the day of Christ’s Passion, Paraskeva was martyred during the persecution of Diocletian. Her name means “Friday” in Greek and represents her devotion to the anticipation of Joy during seasons of sorrow. Long ago and far away, in the sacramental imaginations of Eastern European Christians: both Catholic and Orthodox one Paraskeva loomed especially large in devotional life. With shared icons, devotions, and feasts, they weave in and out of the church year, often neglected in the west. ![]() The primary Paraskevas are often viewed as a collective. There are at least three saints named Paraskeva (or Paraskevi) in the Catholic Church and though they have distinct feast days and devotions, oftentimes, these Paraskeva meld together in our minds as Mother Friday, patroness of marriage, home, and spinning.
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