Saint Paraskeva: Ascetic Life, Miraculous Relics, and Veneration in Iași

Saint Paraskeva, known as Saint Petka, was born in Epivates near Constantinople to wealthy and devout Christian parents. Her brother Euthymius became a monk and later a respected bishop. After the death of her parents, she left her family home and traveled first to Constantinople and then to the wilderness near the Jordan River.

There she spent many years in fasting, prayer, silence, and spiritual struggle. Her life was filled with hardship, demonic temptations, and the difficult battles of the ascetic life, yet she remained faithful to Christ. When she reached old age, an angel of God appeared to her and said: "Leave the wilderness and return to your homeland.

There you must surrender your body to the earth, while your soul will depart to the Lord." Obeying the heavenly message, Saint Petka returned to Epivates, where she spent another two years in constant prayer and fasting. There she peacefully surrendered her soul to God in the 9th century.

Her holy relics became a source of miracles and healing, and throughout the centuries they were carried to Constantinople, Tarnovo, Belgrade, and finally Iași in Romania, where they remain today. In Belgrade a holy spring dedicated to Saint Petka continues to be a place of prayer where many faithful seek healing and comfort through her intercessions.

The account concludes that Saint Petka reminds us that holiness is not found in wealth, recognition, or earthly success, but in humility, repentance, prayer, and complete devotion to Jesus Christ. Though she lived hidden from the world, God made her known to generations of Christians. The post ends with the invocation: Holy Venerable Mother Paraskeva, pray to God for us.