(about conception, about the birth of a child, from a rival, with illnesses of babies)

“O holy and blessed martyr of Christ Paraskevo, beauty of a virgin, praise of the martyrs, wise surprise, the Christian guardian of faith, accuser of idol flattery, champion of the Divine Gospel, zealous of the commandments of the Lord, worthy to come to the haven of eternal rest and in the devil of your Bridegroom Christ God lightly rejoicing, adorned with a special crown of virginity and martyrdom!

We pray to you, holy martyr: wake up for us (names) sadness to Christ God, with His most blessed sight always rejoice; kindle with your holy prayers the darkness that has come from our sins: ask God for the light of grace with our soulful and bodily eyes: enlighten us, darkened by sins, with the light of God's grace, so that for the sake of your holy prayers sweet vision will be given to the innocent. O great servant of God! O most courageous girl! O strong martyr, Saint Paraskevo! With your holy prayers, be our sinful helper, intercede and pray for the accursed and viciously negligent sinners, hasten to help us, for we are very weak.

Pray to the Lord, pure maiden, pray to the Merciful, holy martyr, pray to your Bridegroom, immaculate bride of Christ, but with your prayers help, the darkness of sin is gone, in the light of true faith and divine deeds, we will enter into the light of the eternal day of the never-ending, into the city of joy forever, into now you shine brightly with glory and endless joy, glorify and sing with all heavenly powers the triradiant one Deity, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and forever and ever. Amen."

Prayer to the holy martyr Paraskeva Pyatnitsa for health

“Oh, most courageous girl! Oh, strong martyr Saint Paraskevo! With your holy prayers, be our sinful helper, intercede and pray for accursed and negligent sinners, hasten to help us, for we are very weak. Pray to the Lord, pure maiden, pray to the Merciful, holy martyr, pray to your Bridegroom, immaculate bride of Christ, yes, having helped with your prayers, the darkness of sin has been overcome, in the light of true faith and deeds of the Divine, we will enter into the light of the eternal day of the never-ending, into the city of joy forever, into now you shine brightly with glory and endless joy, glorify and sing with all heavenly powers the Trisagionary One Deity, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and forever and ever. Amen."

Personal petition to the holy martyr Paraskeva Pyatnitsa

“Oh, holy and blessed martyr of Christ Paraskevo! With your holy prayers, be a helper to us sinners (names), intercede, let us be honored with your prayers (the content of the petition), and together with you let us glorify and sing the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and forever and ever. Amen."

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3 strong prayers to the holy martyr Paraskeva Pyatnitsa: 16 comments

1. Natalia

   Oh, holy and blessed martyr of Christ Paraskevo! With your holy prayers, be the helper of sinful Natalia to me, intercede, and with your prayers I will be able to meet my betrothed and create a strong happy family, and let us glorify and sing with you the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and forever and ever. Amen.

2. Elena

   O Holy and Blessed Paraskeva, Martyr of Christ! With holy prayers, be my helper to sinful Elena, intercede, and with your prayers I will be able to keep the pregnancy up to 37 weeks, give birth to a healthy daughter, and ultrasound, so that it is mistaken that this is a boy, my family needs a daughter in order for family members to become kinder. Please help me with this. Let these false contractions disappear. And then I will have a Cesarean section and they will take a healthy daughter out of my stomach. May everything be fine with me too. I only hope for your miracle to have a healthy daughter in my stomach now. Because of the 3 cesareans, it will be dangerous for me to give birth again. Help me please. Together with you we sing and glorify the One God and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever, forever and ever. Amen.

3. Leah

   O Holy and Blessed Paraskeva, Martyr of Christ! Help me to conceive a daughter, sons are born in my family. Pray to God our Heavenly Father for the birth of a miracle in our family. And may that illness never come back to me!
   Together with you we sing and glorify the One God and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever, forever and ever. Amen.

4. Domnica

   “Oh, holy and blessed martyr of Christ Paraskevo! With your holy prayers, be my helper to the sinful Domnik, intercede, let me be honored with your prayers, help me create a family with a worthy person who would become a support for me and my daughter, and together with you let us glorify and sing of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and ever. Amen."

5. Anna

   “Oh, holy and blessed martyr of Christ Paraskevo! With your holy prayers, be my helper to sinful Anna, intercede, and with your prayers I will be able to meet a worthy, courageous, meek heart, cheerful, generous and generous disposition, who would be my hope and support, and my children a friend and respected mentor, who would bring with us peace in our family, well-being in the house and joy in the heart, who would love me, respect my children, and together with you let us glorify and sing of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and forever and ever. Amen."

6. Tatyana

   “Oh, holy and blessed martyr of Christ Paraskevo! With your holy prayers, be my helper to the sinful servant of God Tatyana, intercede, and with your prayers I will be able to meet a person worthy to create a family, courageous, meek in heart, cheerful, generous and generous in disposition, without bad habits, hardworking, who would be my hope and support, and my children as a friend and respected mentor, who would bring peace to our family with him, who would love me, respect, love my children as his own, and together with you let us glorify and sing of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen."

7. Valentine

   Oh, holy and blessed martyr of Christ Paraskevo! With your holy prayers, be the helper of sinful Valentine to me, intercede, and with your prayers I will be able to become pregnant and give birth to a healthy baby, and together with you let us glorify and sing of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and forever and ever. Amen.

8. Marina

   Oh, holy and blessed martyr of Christ Paraskevo! With your holy prayers, be my helper to sinful Marina, intercede, let me be honored with your prayers, help me create a family with a worthy person who would become a support for me, and together with you let us glorify and sing of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and ever ages of ages. Amen

9. Sofia

   Request for the conception and successful resolution of daughter Sophia

10. Love

    Holy and blessed martyr of Christ Paraskevo! Pray to God our Heavenly Father for the complete healing of my daughter Anastasia from a terrible illness. In the name of the FATHER and the SON and the HOLY SPIRIT. AMEN.

11. Natalia

    Oh, holy and blessed martyr of Christ Paraskevo! With your holy prayers, be the helper of the sinful servant of God's daughter Anastasia. Pray for my daughter Anastasia. Help her return her fiancé Ivan, who is being taken away by another. Intercede, and with your prayers help the happiness of my daughter Anastasia.

12. Kseniya

    Oh, Holy Blessed Martyr Paraskeva, Pray to the Lord our God for the forgiveness of sins and ask my family for health, help to cope with our ailments. In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit! Aminb!

13. Natalia

    Holy Martyr Praskovya Pyatnitsa, I tearfully ask that my husband be completely cured of rectal cancer and other ailments. In order for a large 7 cm tumor to cost from metastasis and pain, the tumor is disintegrating now. Escaped disability forever. At least the tumor was benign, not malignant. There is no biopsy yet. He was told at the end of November 2019 about suspected rectal cancer. They want to remove part of the intestine. Save the intestine as much as possible. Never went all his life with a permanent colostomy, bag, colostomy. a black streak in life. Help, protect us from various troubles, pay off a large loan as quickly as possible. To have sustainable financial well-being. Most importantly, heal my husband Nikolai from oncology. He had a favorable outcome. In July 2019, I was diagnosed with cancer of the left kidney. I had surgery to remove my left kidney. In November I was checked, there is no relapse. Spare me the return of oncology. Almost simultaneously, in 2019, we were diagnosed with oncology. Save the two of us forever from oncology. So that he still lives a healthy long and happy life with me. Outlived me. More than Nikolai, I have no one in my life to lean on. I have no one to rely on but his only spouse, in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Thank you.

14. Oksana

    “Oh, holy and blessed martyr of Christ Paraskevo! With your holy prayers, be my helper to the sinful servant of God Xenia - help me conceive a daughter, sons are born in my family. Pray to God our Heavenly Father, for the birth of a miracle in our family, intercede, let us be honored with your prayers, and with your prayers I will be honored to become pregnant and give birth to a healthy girl, and together with you let us glorify and sing of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever centuries. Amen."

15. Oksana

    “Oh, holy and blessed martyr of Christ Paraskevo! With your holy prayers, be my helper to the sinful servant of God Xenia - help me conceive a daughter, sons are born in my family. Pray to God our Heavenly Father for the birth of a miracle in our family, intercede, and with your prayers I will be able to become pregnant and give birth to a healthy girl, and together with you let us glorify and sing of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and forever and ever. Amen."

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Every little girl dreams of a handsome prince and a beautiful wedding. And every year of her adult life, desires may change, but she will always want to find her loving soul mate, successfully marry and have a strong family, spend the rest of her life together - this is the main plan.

Some girls are lucky and they quickly find their happiness, but what about those who have problems with this. When, as they say, both a beauty and a smart girl, but with her personal life, well, it doesn’t stick at all. Girls don’t go to any tricks, but there are those who turn to Paraskeva with a prayer for marriage.

According to church legends, the family is a small church. That is why there is no need to feel uncomfortable when asking for marriage from the Lord or other saints. There are many different strong prayers for marriage. Often such a petition is addressed to St. Nicholas, St. Andrew the First-Called, St. Great Martyr Catherine, and St. Paraskeva Pyatnitsa.

It would be nice if you could visit the place where they bring the relics or miraculous icons of those saints to whom you pray.

Great Martyr Paraskeva

In ancient Russia, the Holy Great Martyr Paraskeva is recognized as the one who can:

• heal bodily and mental ailments,
• helps to keep and add family happiness and well-being,
• help in early marriage,
• assistance in finding children with marital infertility.

It is Paraskeva Pyatnitsa's prayer for marriage that helps to quickly find her betrothed and marry for love. The day of memory of this saint is celebrated on October 28 according to the old or November 10 according to the new style. This is one of the most revered icons in Christianity. That is why her face can be found in almost every temple. It was called Friday among the people because the wayside churches had such a name, in which everyone could turn to the Lord with a prayer.

Often this saint is addressed with such prayer words:

Prayer one

O holy and blessed martyr of Christ Paraskevo, beautifully virginal, praise of martyrs, purity of image, magnanimous mirror, wise surprise, Christian faith guardian, accuser of idol flattery, champion of the Divine Gospel, zealot of the commandments of the Lord, worthy to come to the haven of eternal rest and in the devil of your Bridegroom Christ God lightly rejoicing, adorned with the crown of virginity and martyrdom! We pray to you, holy martyr, be sad for us to Christ God.

With His most blessed vision, it is always rejoicing; pray to the All-Merciful, even with a word, open the eyes of the blind, may he save us from the disease of our eyes, both bodily and spiritual; kindle with your holy prayers the dark darkness that has come from our sins, ask the Father of Light for the light of grace with our spiritual and bodily eyes; Enlighten us, darkened by sins, with the light of God's grace, and for the sake of your holy prayers, sweet sight will be given to the innocent. O great saint of God! O most courageous girl! O strong martyr Saint Paraskevo!

With your holy prayers, be our sinful helper, intercede and pray for the accursed and negligent sinners, hasten to help us, for these are very weak.

Pray to the Lord, pure maiden, pray to the Merciful, holy martyr, pray to your Bridegroom, immaculate bride of Christ, and help with your prayers, the darkness of sin is gone, in the light of true faith and deeds of the Divine, we will enter into the light of the eternal day of the never-ending, into the city of joy forever, into now you shine brightly with glory and endless joy, glorify and sing with all the Heavenly Forces the Trisagionary One Deity, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and forever and ever. Amen.

Prayer two

Holy bride of Christ, long-suffering martyr Paraskevo! Vemy, since from your youth you have loved with all your soul and with all your heart, the King of glory, Christ the Savior, and you alone have missed Him, distributing your property to the poor and the poor. With the power of your piety, your chastity and righteousness, you shone like the rays of the sun, living holy among the infidels and fearlessly preaching to them Christ God.

You, from the days of your youth, taught by your parents, always reverently honored the days of the redemptive passions of our Lord Jesus Christ, for His sake you yourself voluntarily suffered. You, miraculously healed from incurable wounds by the right hand of an angel of God and perceived inexpressible lordship, amazed the unfaithful tormentors. You, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and by the power of your prayer in the pagan temple, cast down all the idols of the valley, crushed me into dust.

You, scorched by the candles, with your single prayer to the almighty Lord, extinguished the natural fire, and with the same flame miraculously kindled through the angel of God, having burned the violent lawless, you led many people to the knowledge of the true God. You, to the glory of the Lord, accepting the beheading of your sword head from the tormentors, valiantly died of your suffering feat, having ascended with your soul to heaven, to the chamber of your longed-for Bridegroom Christ the King of Glory, joyfully meeting you with this heavenly voice: Rejoice, righteous ones, as the martyr Paraskeva was crowned !

Even so, today we greet you, long-suffering, and, looking at your holy icon, cry with tenderness to you: all-honorable Paraskeva! Vema, as a great imashi boldness to the Lord: pray for His Lover of mankind and for us from the upcoming and praying ty. May He give us, like you, patience and complacency in troubles and mournful circumstances; may He grant, by your intercession and intercession, a joyful, prosperous and peaceful life, health and salvation, and in all good haste to our beloved fatherland, may His holy blessing and peace come down, and may all Orthodox Christians give with your holy prayers affirmation in the faith , piety and holiness, and prosperity in Christian love and all virtue: may He cleanse us sinners from all filth and vice: may He protect us with His holy angels, may He intercede, preserve and have mercy on all with His holy grace and make us heirs and partakers of His Kingdom of Heaven.

And thus, having improved salvation with your holy prayers, intercession and intercession, the all-glorious bride of Christ Paraskeva, let us glorify all the most pure and magnificent name of the wondrous in His saints the true God, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit always, now and ever, and forever and ever. Amen.

The most important thing in saying a prayer is not so much words as sincere faith, which must come from the very heart. And then your request will be surely heard.

May the Lord keep you!

Watch a video with prayers to the martyr Paraskeva from marriage:

Orthodox Christians believe in the help of saints, offering their prayers for various needs. Who is Paraskeva Friday, what do the saints pray for and how can she help? My niece could not give birth to a child for a long time, although she had lived with her husband for 5 years. One day, an old woman advised her to turn to Paraskeva, taking pity on the tear-stained girl.

Less than a year later, the niece received a positive result in a pregnancy test. Joy knew no bounds. In gratitude for the help and assistance, the icon was presented with a gold chain with an amethyst pendant. In the article, I will briefly retell the life of the saint and share the Orthodox prayer.

Brief Life of Saint Paraskeva

The saint was born into a Christian family, her parents were pious people. They revered the holy day on which Christ was crucified so much that they named their newborn daughter in honor of Friday - Paraskeva. In Russia, the name Paraskeva turned into Praskovya, one of the most common female names.

These were the first centuries of early Christianity, when persecution for the faith took the most monstrous forms. People were tortured, tortured in every way, burned alive and chopped to pieces with a sword. In the city of Iconium (modern Turkey), Diocletian, an ardent hater of Christianity, ruled. On his conscience are tens of thousands of tormented bodies.

Paraskeva lost her parents early, but continued to lead a pious life and devoutly believed in the Savior of human souls. The girl did not want to marry an earthly youth, preferring to remain the bride of Christ. She spent the inheritance inherited from her parents for the needs of the poor, leaving herself very little - only what was necessary.

The girl knew about the persecution of Emperor Diocletian, but was not afraid of cruel reprisals. One day, an imperial messenger arrived in the city of Iconium on a mission to identify Christians among the population. Having learned about Paraskeva, he ordered the girl to be delivered to his palace. Struck by the beauty of the young Christian woman, the imperial envoy proposed to her in marriage. But with the condition of renunciation of Christ.

Paraskeva refused to sacrifice to idols, for which she was severely tortured. Her body was tortured with ox sinews, causing incredible suffering. When the imperial envoy again asked her consent to marriage, the girl spat in his face. For this, she was subjected to new cruel tortures and, tormented to a pulp, was thrown into prison to die.

However, in the dungeon, Paraskeva was visited by an Angel, who healed her wounds completely. The imperial envoy declared that pagan idols healed the wounds and led Paraskeva to the temple to bow. But the girl began to loudly praise Christ, from which all the idols fell to the ground and broke. This brought the ruler into indescribable horror, and he again ordered Paraskeva to be tortured. For a long time the soldiers tortured the body of the girl, but they could not break her spirit. After a long torment, Paraskeva's head was cut off. Since then, the holy relics of Paraskeva began to heal suffering Christians, and Paraskeva herself received the rank of great martyr for the faith of Christ.

What are they praying for

Paraskeva Pyatnitsa and its icon are revered by the Orthodox Church, the day of remembrance according to the new style is November 10. The saint is considered the intercessor and patroness of all those who suffer, who with faith turn to her with prayers for help. Paraskeva helps in many household chores and issues. Previously, the peasants consecrated the flax collected in the fields on this day in the church. Therefore, Paraskeva in Russia was also called Flaxen Girl. Together with flax, the fruits of the land of the new harvest were consecrated in the church, some of which were kept behind the icons until the next autumn.

Prayers to Paraskeva were offered:

• peasants - about the well-being and health of livestock, especially the cow-nurse;
• merchants - about good trade and protection from robbery and robbery;
• patients - about healing from serious ailments;
• girls - about a successful marriage;
• women - about the birth of a child.

At the wells, the peasants installed the icon of the saint, so that it would bless the source and make the water healing. In those difficult times, when there was still no high-quality medicine, people could only rely on the help of saints and intercessors. The icon helped with severe pain: headache, dental, bodily.

For many years, women sacredly honored Friday and did not touch the household: on this day it was considered a sin to mess with dirt and dust. Therefore, peasant women did not wash, did not sew, and did not work around the house. In some areas, this custom is honored to this day.

Young girls with faith fell to the holy icon, hoping for help in marriage. In the old days there was no practice of divorce, so the husband was chosen once and for all. The girls asked the patron saint to bless their marriage or send a good groom. Married women asked for blessings for the birth of a child, because in those days there were no midwives or pediatricians. The women believed that Saint Paraskeva would hear their request and would certainly intercede before Christ himself.

Prayer of Saint Paraskeva Friday:

Asking for help from the saints, we sometimes do not know who to turn to with this or that prayer. After all, each one who was ranked among the saints by his earthly deeds received the ability to help people after death in different ways. In this article we will talk about who Holy Paraskeva Friday is, what helps, how to pray to her.

Holy Great Martyr Paraskeva: a life story

Paraskeva or Friday is the name given to a newborn girl who was born in the city of Konya, Turkey. Parents - peasants, taught and brought up Paraskeva in strict Christian traditions, already in her youth, the girl was given a celibate dinner, and her life is devoted to serving God.

She refused numerous marriage proposals. All that was left after the death of her parents was distributed to those in need. One day, seeing a beautiful young girl, one of the nobles of King Diocletian told her that if she renounces her faith, he will take her as his wife. Having been refused, he ordered to flog her in public. But even after that, Paraskeva did not betray her convictions, giving a second refusal to the torturer.

Then the girl was hung on a tree and beaten with iron claws, after which they threw her barely alive into a dungeon. There an angel appeared to her, healed her, revived her, and made her face even more beautiful. Seeing such a miracle, they hung Paraskeva again on a tree, again began torturing her body, burning it with fire.

A heavenly angel descended to her for the second time, seeing this people believed in Christianity, but the royal servants were afraid of the uprising of the people and decided to kill the girl, stabbed her to death. For Orthodox people, the name of Saint Paraskeva did not disappear with her death. Believers began to come to the place of execution for healing and received it. Icons with the image of the martyr appeared in many houses.

Paraskeva Friday, what should she pray for?

Saint Paraskeva's day of remembrance was November 10. Believers did not go to work, but went to the temple to the icons, carried gifts and asked for help. What can you ask the martyr today?

• Saint Paraskeva has always been considered a female intercessor and helper. She gives cure to girls from various diseases, infertility.
• To preserve family happiness, her icon is hung at home.
• Women ask her for a good husband.
• Before childbirth, some hang an icon with a prayer around their necks.

On the day of her veneration, fun and hard work are not welcome. It is worth spending it with your family for tea drinking, walks. During the walk, pay attention to the weather, if it is slushy and cloudy, it means waiting for a late rainy spring next year.

Prayer to Paraskeva Pyatnitsa for marriage

How to pray to a girl who wants to get married? The strongest prayers are received on November 10 at dawn.

1. Remove excess clothing, shoes, you can stay in a simple long shirt. Turn to face the icon and read:

“Friday, mother, patroness of all girls and our benefactor. Help women find happiness and well-being, a husband and children, start a family. I hope (name) for your help and indulgence. Let him wither away for me (name, if you know who) and walk under my windows, sadness anguish torments him. I will be grateful to you, remember and pray endlessly. Amen".

1. “Holy mistress, pious martyr for women's affairs, a sufferer. Hear our prayers and requests to you, great mother. Adorn the mind with modesty, chastity to save it to one betrothed, named by God. May he be near in grief or joy, may he not offend me or our common children, may there be prosperity and great joy in the house. Thank you for your attention holy maiden Paraskeva Pyatnitsa. Amen".

Akathist for Saint

Akathist or thanksgiving singing to St. Paraskeva Pyatnitsa, as well as to other saints, begins with an introduction - kontakia, and the main part - ikos.

For instance:

• Kondak 1. “To the chosen miracle worker, the bride of Christ, thanksgiving singing from the troubles you deliver and the sickness of every Paraskeva. You, being next to God, deliver us from all troubles further. Hallelujah!"

Ikos 1. “Rejoice, preserved true virginity and chastity. Rejoice, you who did not want earthly good and material value. Rejoice, wiser than the wisest of the world. Rejoice, strong intercession for all those who grieve and sinners. Rejoice, Paraskeva Friday, praised companion of Christ.

• Kondak 2. “Preacher of the miracles of God in the human world, valiant Paraskeva, healed by an angel of heaven for our health, pray, listening to laudatory thanksgiving singing. Hallelujah!"

Ikos 2. “Rejoice, gifted with divine wisdom. Rejoice, thou who healed sinners from terrible wounds. Rejoice, praying for conscientious Christians. Rejoice, blessed with immortality by the saints. Rejoice, having conquered everyone with great courage. Rejoice, Paraskeva, disciple of Christ, Friday.

Where are the relics of Paraskeva Pyatnitsa located?

The veneration of the remains of people ranked after death as saints has an ancient origin. According to the teachings of the Orthodox Church, they store in themselves the miraculous power that God endows them with and passes on to believers through the shrine. Usually this is a bone skeleton, the ashes of a martyred person, enclosed in a special urn or sarcophagus. People come to the relics, bow, each asking for his own.

The remains of Paraskeva themselves were not found, but the place of her execution is known - the Crimea, the vicinity of the village of Topolevka. Here in the mountains was built Holy Trinity Paraskevievsky Monastery in honor of the Great Martyr. Near the monastery there is a spring where the girl was executed.

People come here who need her help. There is a notebook in the temple, which describes cases of healing by the waters of the holy spring. These are mainly eye diseases, infertility and female ailments. You can often see foreigners coming from far away.

Seeking help and protection from holy Christians, now you will know about one of them, who Holy Paraskeva Friday is, what helps, how to read a prayer and an akathist.

Video about the monastery in honor of Holy Friday

In this video, priest Matthew will tell you where the church of St. Paraskeva Pyatnitsa is located, how to pray to her correctly, what to say:

Christianity and paganism are two sides of the ancient Russian holiday.

The special reverence of the Orthodox for the Great Martyr Paraskeva Pyatnitsa, the female intercessor, in many respects continues the tradition of worshiping the goddess of the pagan cult Makosh. The merger of the two images in the popular consciousness was served by common functions - both Makosh and Paraskeva favored marriage and childbirth.

Holy Paraskeva Friday

It is known that Paraskeva Pyatnitsa was born in the 3rd century in a wealthy family of a senator in Iconium, the capital of ancient Lakaonia, in Asia Minor. From the days of Passion Week, her deeply believing parents especially sacredly revered Good Friday - the day of the suffering of Jesus Christ on the Cross. Therefore, the daughter, who was born on Friday, was named Paraskeva, which means “Friday” in Greek. Raised in a pious family, Paraskeva took a vow of celibacy from a young age and decided to devote her life to God and the enlightenment of the pagans.

During the struggle of the emperor Diocletian with the preachers of the Christian faith, Paraskeva was seized at the direction of the city ruler Aetius. The head of Lakaonia, struck by the beauty of the girl, even wanted to marry her, but first demanded that she make a sacrifice to a pagan idol. For refusing to renounce the Orthodox faith, on the orders of Aetius, Paraskeva was tortured for a long time and painfully, and then thrown into prison. According to legend, the Lord healed Paraskeva, who offered prayers. But this did not stop her persecutors. They began to set fire to the girl with torches, and then cut off her head. After the burial of the body, the Orthodox began to worship her relics and noticed that sick people began to heal miraculously.

Pagan goddess Makosh

In the peasant beliefs of the Russian North, Paraskeva is associated with the semi-pagan goddess - the spinner Makosh. The image of Paraskeva Pyatnitsa overshadowed the cult of veneration of the archaic Makosh, the people attributed to her influence on fertility and marriages.

To this day, many rituals and customs are associated with the memory of the great martyr. In Ancient Russia, even temples and roadside chapels were called Friday. The people called the saint Paraskeva Friday, Pyatina or Petka. The icon painters depicted a tall ascetic with a stern expression. Icons of the righteous martyr, crowned with a radiant wreath, were revered and decorated with ribbons and monists. Rural workers brought flowers and fragrant herbs to her face, believing that it was Paraskeva who took care of the fields they had sown and the preservation of livestock from death. On her memorable day, fruits were brought to the temples for consecration, and then they were kept all year as sacred objects.

“Paraskeva Pyatnitsa, like Makosh with his mermaids, was associated with water; she patronizes holy healing springs and wells; "Pyatnitsky springs" are known.
The complex of images of Paraskeva itself includes the concept of sacred earthly moisture. Moreover, the water of the earth and Paraskeva are identical - this is evidenced by the legends about the icons of Paraskeva Pyatnitsa, who, it is not known how and why, appeared in springs and reservoirs.

Vladimir Chicherov, literary critic, researcher of Russian traditional folklore

Holy miraculous spring and bath near the village of Korotsko. Valdai district, Novgorod region. Photo: N. Korzhov / photo bank "Lori"

In the Tempi valley there is the holy spring of Paraskeva of Rome, in which, according to legend, the miraculous icon of Paraskeva was found (it is placed in the church next to the spring). Photo: V. Volokhonsky / photobank "Lori"

“Friday was sometimes dedicated to the first harvested sheaf. The specifics of Friday were linen and yarn. The day of November 10 (October 28, according to the old style - the church date of St. Paraskeva) was the day of Flax Friday, when "common people wear tattered linen to church." The processing of flax and the spinning of tow and wool are especially related in Russian folklore to Pyatnitsa and Makosh: both of them are extremely attentive to these women's affairs.

Boris Rybakov, archaeologist, researcher of Slavic culture and history of Ancient Russia

Being in household deities, the shrine acts as the guardian of the family hearth and well-being. Orthodox believers call Paraskeva a healer of bodily and mental illnesses, and also pray to her for the health of children.