Saints Cyril and Methodius

Who they were

The brothers Methodius (born Michael, 825) and Cyril (born Constantine, 827) came from Thessalonica. Methodius became governor of a Byzantine province; Cyril, highly educated at Constantinople, turned down a career at court. The emperor Michael III sent them first to the Khazars and, in 863, to Great Moravia, to preach in the Slavs' own language.

To give the Slavs the Scriptures and the liturgy they invented a new alphabet, the Glagolitic, from which the Cyrillic script descends. The Pope received them in Rome in procession. Cyril, who had become a monk, died there on 14 February 869; Methodius was ordained bishop, continued the mission through hostility and misunderstanding, and died in 885.

The miracles

There was never a formal cause: the brothers have been honoured as saints since the ninth century. On 31 December 1980 St John Paul II proclaimed them co-patrons of Europe.

Why that counted as sanctity

Cyril and Methodius brought the Gospel to the Slav peoples in their own tongue, giving them an alphabet so that they could read God's word and pray in their own language.

Connected on this site

• Methodius of Thessaloniki Saint one of this group
• Saint Cyril the Philosopher Saint one of this group
• Boris I of Bulgaria Saint
  “When in 885 the disciples of Saints Cyril and Methodius were banished from Great Moravia, Boris I gave them refuge and assistance, which saved the Glagolitic script and later promoted the development of the Cyrillic script and of Slavic literature.” — Wikipedia
• Clement of Ohrid Saint
  “Together with him are commemorated the holy bishops Gorazd, Naum, Sava and Angelar, who continued in Bulgaria the work of Saints Cyril and Methodius.” — this site's research
• Gorazd Saint
  “During World War II, having provided refuge for the assassins of SS-Obergruppenfuhrer Reinhard Heydrich, called The Hangman of Prague, in the cathedral of Saints Cyril and Methodius in Prague, Gorazd took full responsibility for protecting the assassins after the Schutzstaffel found them in the crypt of the…” — Wikipedia
• John Paul II Saint
  “On 31 December 1980 St John Paul II proclaimed them co-patrons of Europe.” — this site's research
• Saint Angelar Saint
  “He was one of the most prominent disciples of Saints Cyril and Methodius.” — Wikipedia
• Saint Cyril the Philosopher Saint
  “In 1880 Pope Leo XIII extended the feast of Saints Cyril and Methodius to the whole Church.” — this site's research
• Saint Gorazd Saint
  “Together with him are commemorated the holy bishops Gorazd, Naum, Sava and Angelar, who continued in Bulgaria the work of Saints Cyril and Methodius.” — this site's research
• Saint Naum Saint
  “Together with him are commemorated the holy bishops Gorazd, Naum, Sava and Angelar, who continued in Bulgaria the work of Saints Cyril and Methodius.” — this site's research
• Saint Valentine Saint
  “The official Liturgical Calendar for the Dioceses of the United States identifies February 14 as the memorial of Saints Cyril and Methodius.” — Wikipedia
• Sava Sedmochislenik Saint
  “Saint Sava was a medieval Bulgarian and Slavic saint and one of the most prominent disciples of Saints Cyril and Methodius.” — Wikipedia