Name day
Dorothy: Name Day and Patron Saint
Dorothy keeps the name day on 5 June, or 18 June on the Old Calendar: the feast of Hieromartyr Dorotheus.
- Patron saint
- Hieromartyr Dorotheus
- New Calendar
- 5 June
- Old Calendar
- 18 June
- Next name day
- 5 June 2027 (New Calendar) · 18 June 2027 (Old Calendar)
- In the feast calendar
- The feasts of June
The patron saint: Hieromartyr Dorotheus
Kept on 5 June, or 18 June on the Old Calendar
St Dorotheus was Bishop of Tyre in Phoenicia in the days of the emperor Diocletian, when Christians were hunted and killed. Heeding the Lord’s word, “when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another”, he withdrew from Tyre and hid from the persecutors. When St Constantine the Great came to the throne and peace was given to the Church, Dorotheus returned to his city and again took up the bishop’s throne. For more than fifty years he shepherded his flock, and through his teaching many pagans came to believe in Christ. Some attribute to him the compiling of a book called the Synopsis, a gathering of sayings that includes lives of the holy prophets and apostles. When Julian the Apostate began openly to persecute Christians, the bishop was already more than a hundred years old. He withdrew to the city of Udum, today Varna in Bulgaria. There the emperor’s officers arrested him, and when the old man refused to offer sacrifice to idols, they tortured him. Under torture he gave up his soul to the Lord, around the year 362, at the age of one hundred and seven. The Church keeps the memory of the Hieromartyr Dorotheus on 5 June (18 June on the Old Calendar). The faithful honour him as a patient shepherd and an aged confessor, and ask his prayers for faithfulness to the end of life.
What the faithful pray for
- faithfulness to Christ to the very end of life
- bishops and pastors who shepherd their flock
- the elderly, that they may keep the faith with courage
- wisdom in times of persecution
- the conversion of those who do not know Christ
Other saints named Dorothy
Virgin Martyr Dorothy at Caesarea
Kept on 6 February, or 19 February on the Old Calendar
Dorothy in other languages
| Language | The name | Short forms |
|---|---|---|
| English | Dorothy, Dorothea, Dorothee | Dot, Dottie, Dolly, Dora, Thea |
| Greek | Δωροθέα, Dorothea | |
| Russian | Дорофея, Dorofeya |
An icon for Dorothy
We don't carry an icon of Hieromartyr Dorotheus yet. Ask for it below, and we will write to you when it is in.
Closest to it
For every name: the Guardian Angel, given at baptism
Have it consecrated by our priest before it reaches you: Consecration, $49.
A name-day gift for Dorothy
Name-Day Gift Set $213$149
A patron saint's folding diptych chosen by first name, a stainless steel crucifix and a prayer rope, in a gift box with a card giving the saint's life and feast day.
The St Nicholas the Wonderworker & Guardian Angel Folding Diptych is chosen, for the Guardian Angel every Orthodox Christian receives at baptism, and the name is filled in.
Other names with this saint
Questions
When is Dorothy’s name day?
Dorothy keeps the name day on 5 June on the New Calendar and on 18 June on the Old Calendar, the feast of Hieromartyr Dorotheus.
Who is the patron saint of Dorothy?
Hieromartyr Dorotheus. St Dorotheus was Bishop of Tyre in Phoenicia in the days of the emperor Diocletian, when Christians were hunted and killed.
How is Dorothy written in other languages?
Greek: Δωροθέα (Dorothea) and Russian: Дорофея (Dorofeya). Every form of the name keeps the same saint.
What is a good name-day gift for Dorothy?
We don’t carry an icon of Hieromartyr Dorotheus yet, and you can ask for one on this page. Every Orthodox Christian has a Guardian Angel from baptism, so the Name-Day Gift Set ($149) with the Guardian Angel diptych is always fitting.
More about name days
- Name Days Explained: What They Are, How Families Keep Them, and Gifts
A name day is the feast of the saint whose name you carry. Here is how to find yours on either calendar, how Greek and Russian families keep it, and what to give.
- Orthodox Patron Saint: How to Find Yours (by Name, Day or Choice)
Your Orthodox patron saint is the saint whose name you were given at baptism. Here is how to find yours by name, by the day of your birth or baptism, or by choice, and how to keep the name day.
- Find another name