Saint Cyril the Philosopher

Who they were

Cyril (also called Constantine) and his elder brother Methodius, the Apostles of the Slavs, were born at Thessalonica into a senatorial family and left worldly honours to become priests. After a mission to the Khazars, they were sent to the Moravians, who wanted teachers able to preach and hold services in their own Slavonic tongue. Cyril invented an alphabet and with Methodius translated the Gospels and the liturgical books into Slavonic, and in 863 they began their work in Moravia.

Distrusted by the German clergy, they were called to Rome, where Pope Adrian II approved their teaching and the Slavonic liturgy and ordained them bishops. Cyril did not return to Moravia: he died in Rome on 4 February 869. In 1880 Pope Leo XIII extended the feast of Saints Cyril and Methodius to the whole Church.

The miracles

There was never a formal cause: he has been honoured as a saint since before the Church's formal processes began.

Why that counted as sanctity

With his brother Methodius, Apostle of the Slavs, who created an alphabet for their language.

Connected on this site

• Clement of Ohrid Saint Pupil
• Methodius of Thessaloniki Saint Brother or sister
• Saint Naum Saint Pupil
• Saints Cyril and Methodius Saint honoured together
• Benedict of Nursia Saint
  “In 1980, the first Slav pope, Pope John Paul II declared them co-patron saints of Europe, together with Benedict of Nursia.” — Wikipedia
• Saints Cyril and Methodius Saint
  “In 1880 Pope Leo XIII extended the feast of Saints Cyril and Methodius to the whole Church.” — this site's research