February 14th: Feast of Sts. Cyril & Methodius

On this Valentine's Day is will be good to remember that the Church holds two saints in regard today: Saints Cyril and Methodius.

Sts. Cyril & Methodius

Saints Cyril and Methodius were two Byzantine Greek brothers born in Thessalonica in the 9th century. They became missionaries of Christianity among the Slavic peoples of Great Moravia and  Pannonia. Through their work they influenced the cultural development of all Slavs, for which they received the title "Apostles to the Slavs".  

After their deaths, their pupils continued their missionary work among other Slavs. Both brothers are venerated in the Eastern Orthodox Church as saints with the title of "Equals to the Apostles." In 1880, Pope leo XIII introduced their feast into the calendar of the  Roman Catholic Church. In 1980, Pope John Paul II declared them co-patrons of Europe, together with Saint Benedict of Nursia.