Name day
Seraphim: Name Day and Patron Saint
Seraphim keeps the name day on 2 January, or 15 January on the Old Calendar: the feast of St Seraphim of Sarov.
- Patron saint
- St Seraphim of Sarov
- New Calendar
- 2 January
- Old Calendar
- 15 January
- Next name day
- 2 January 2027 (New Calendar) · 15 January 2027 (Old Calendar)
- In the feast calendar
- The feasts of January
The patron saint: St Seraphim of Sarov
Kept on 2 January, or 15 January on the Old Calendar · Repose (and second uncovering of relics, 1991)
Prokhor Moshnin was born in Kursk in 1754 and was preserved unharmed as a boy when he fell from a bell tower. Entering Sarov Monastery, he became the monk Seraphim and then withdrew to a forest hermitage, where wild beasts came to eat bread from his hand and he prayed for a thousand days and nights upon a rock. Having acquired peace of soul and joy in the Holy Spirit, he taught, “Acquire the spirit of peace, and a thousand souls around you will be saved.” After years of silence he opened his door to all, greeting every visitor, in any season, with “Christ is Risen, my joy!” He healed many, cared lovingly for the Diveyevo sisters, and reposed on his knees before an icon of the Theotokos on January 2, 1833. Glorified in 1903, he is one of the most beloved saints of Russia. Orthodox Christians pray to Saint Seraphim for healing, peace of heart and help in every distress.
What the faithful pray for
- peace of soul and the acquisition of the Holy Spirit
- healing of illness and injury
- help in despair, anxiety and fear
- protection from temptation
- wisdom in family decisions and the upbringing of children
- the choice of one’s path in life
- true repentance
- joy in Christ
Protection
- the despairing and anxious
- the sick and injured
- souls beset by temptation
- monastics and the Diveyevo sisters
Miracles
- Living as a hermit, he fed bears, wolves and foxes from his hand, and a bear obeyed him and ran errands for him. (source)
- He prayed for 1,000 days and nights on a rock with upraised hands, saying ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner.’ (source)
- People recovered sight, hearing, speech and the use of their legs after praying to him and bathing in his spring at Sarov. (source)
Other saints named Seraphim
St Seraphim of Labodeia
Kept on 6 May, or 19 May on the Old Calendar
Hieromartyr Seraphim Archbishop of Phanarion and Neochorion
Kept on 4 December, or 17 December on the Old Calendar
the Synaxis of the Archangels
Kept on 8 November, or 21 November on the Old Calendar · Synaxis of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel and all the Bodiless Powers
The feast of all the angels, led by the Archangels Michael and Gabriel. In Greek custom Angelos and Angeliki keep the name day on this feast.
Seraphim in other languages
| Language | The name | Short forms |
|---|---|---|
| English | Seraphim, Serafim, Serafino | |
| Greek | Σεραφείμ, Serafeim | |
| Russian | Серафим, Serafim | Сима, Sima |
| Serbian | Серафим, Serafim | |
| Romanian | Serafim |
An icon for Seraphim
We don't carry an icon of St Seraphim of Sarov yet. Ask for it below, and we will write to you when it is in.
Closest to it
Folding diptychSt Nicholas the Wonderworker & Guardian Angel
Also prayed to for children$99$69
Folding diptychChrist (Zvenigorod Saviour) & Vladimir Mother of God
Also prayed to for anxiety, depression and despair$99$69
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 Seraphim
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 Seraphim’s name day?
Seraphim keeps the name day on 2 January on the New Calendar and on 15 January on the Old Calendar, the feast of St Seraphim of Sarov.
Who is the patron saint of Seraphim?
St Seraphim of Sarov. Prokhor Moshnin was born in Kursk in 1754 and was preserved unharmed as a boy when he fell from a bell tower.
How is Seraphim written in other languages?
Greek: Σεραφείμ (Serafeim), Russian: Серафим (Serafim), Serbian: Серафим (Serafim) and Romanian: Serafim. Every form of the name keeps the same saint.
What is a good name-day gift for Seraphim?
We don’t carry an icon of St Seraphim of Sarov 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
Sources
- Repose of Venerable Seraphim, Wonderworker of Sarov (OCA)
- Преподобный Серафим Саровский (Азбука веры)
- Серафим Саровский: в чем помогает, чудеса и паломничество в Дивеево (Российская газета)
- День памяти Серафима Саровского (360.ru)
- Orthodox Church in America, Lives of the Saints
- eortologio.net, Greek name-day calendar (Εορτολόγιο)
- azbyka.ru, Месяцеслов (the Russian Church's calendar of saints by name)