Iovia Name Day and Patron Saint

The patron saint: Prophet Iov

Kept on 6 May, or 19 May on the Old Calendar

Other saints named Iovia

the Holy Forefathers

Kept on the Sunday between 11 and 17 December · Sunday of the Holy Forefathers

On the Sunday of the Holy Forefathers the Church remembers the righteous men and women of the Old Testament, the ancestors of Christ according to the flesh and all who waited in faith for His coming, from Adam onward. Among them are Adam and Eve, Abel, Seth, Enoch and Noah, and the patriarch Abraham, whom St Paul calls the father of the faithful. Many of them lived among idols and cruelty, yet they kept faith in the one God and hoped for the Messiah they would not see in this life. The Church likens them to candles of God burning in the darkness. The feast falls on the Sunday between 11 and 17 December (on the Old Calendar, the Sunday between 24 and 30 December), the second Sunday before Christmas, in the middle of the Nativity Fast. Its Gospel is the parable of the great supper, in which the poor, the lame and the blind are brought in to the feast after the first guests make excuses. The hymns of the day recall the three youths who would not bow to an idol and were kept unharmed in the fiery furnace, a sign of Christ born of the Virgin. The troparion says that God justified the forefathers by faith, and it asks Christ to save our souls through their prayers. Those who bear the names of the patriarchs and their wives keep this Sunday as their name day, and the faithful ask the forefathers to pray for them as they prepare their hearts to receive Christ.

What the faithful pray for

faith that holds firm while we wait on God
hope in God’s promises
a heart made ready for the Nativity of Christ
courage to refuse every idol
families, parents and those who come after us

An icon for Iovia

We don't carry an icon of Prophet Iov yet. Ask for it below, and we will write to you when it is in.

Closest to it

Folding diptych
Christ (Zvenigorod Saviour) & Vladimir Mother of God
Christ and the Mother of God keep every Christian home~~$99~~$69

For every name: the Guardian Angel, given at baptism

Folding diptych
St Nicholas the Wonderworker & Guardian Angel
For every name: the Guardian Angel given at baptism, with St Nicholas~~$99~~$69

Have it consecrated by our priest before it reaches you: Consecration, $49.

A name-day gift for Iovia

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.

Choose the gift set for Iovia More name-day gift ideas

Questions

When is Iovia’s name day?

Iovia keeps the name day on 6 May on the New Calendar and on 19 May on the Old Calendar, the feast of Prophet Iov.

Who is the patron saint of Iovia?

Prophet Iov.

What is a good name-day gift for Iovia?

We don’t carry an icon of Prophet Iov 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

Iovia: Name Day and Patron Saint