St Phanourios

Nothing certain is known of Saint Phanourios' life or the time in which he lived. His story begins with a revelation: when the Turks were repairing the walls of Rhodes, workers uncovered a ruined church, and among the broken icons lay one of a young soldier-martyr, bright as if newly painted. Bishop Nilus read the name "Saint Phanourios," and the twelve scenes around the icon showed his tortures by stones, hooks, fire and wild beasts, and his victory over demons. The saint is depicted holding a cross topped with a burning candle, because he reveals what is hidden, and his name recalls the Greek word for "reveal." Orthodox Christians, above all Greeks, pray to Saint Phanourios when something is lost, from keys and documents to animals, a job or the right husband. Thankful households bake the Phanouropita, a simple spiced cake, and share it with neighbors, asking God to forgive the saint's mother.

A Greek devotion above all; little known in Russian practice (Russian calendars list him as 'Fanury of Rhodes'). The Phanouropita and the story of his sinful mother are folk custom, not hagiography (Sanidopoulos notes the mother story was invented by popular imagination). The 'finding work' patronage could not be confirmed in a cited source and is left out.