07 Works, Today, February 19th, is The Venerable Mother Philothea’s Day, With Footnotes — 49
1 min readFeb 20, 2020
The Venerable Mother Philothea of Athens (1589) was born to the prominent Venizelou family, miraculously answering her mother’s prayer of many years. Though even in childhood she showed a love for ascesis and prayer, she was much sought-after as a wealthy heiress, and was married at the age of twelve to a rough, violent man. She endured his ill-treatment nobly, and prayed daily for his conversion. After three years, the brutal husband died, and Philothea gave herself entirely to a life of prayer and fasting, living like a hermitess though still in her parents’ house…