Hier zijn de persoonsgegevens van Paraskeva:
Saint Paraskeva of the Balkans (also known as Света Петка / Sveta Petka) was an ascetic female saint of the 10th century.
Paraskeva was born in the town of Epivates (close to present-day Istanbul) on the shore of the Sea of Marmara. Her parents were wealthy landowners.
Legend says that as a child, Paraskeva heard in a church the Lord's words: "Whoever wants to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me." (Mark 8, 34). These words would determine her to give her rich clothes away to the poor and to flee to Constantinople. Her parents, who did not support her decision to follow an ascetic, religious life, looked for her in various cities. Paraskeva fled to Chalcedon in Asia Minor, and afterwards lived at the church of the Most Holy Theotokos in Heraclea Pontica in Bithynia. She led an austere life, experiencing visions of the Virgin Mary. Her travels took her to Jerusalem; she wished to spend the rest of her life there. After seeing Jerusalem, she settled in a convent in the desert near the River Jordan.
When she was 25, an angel appeared, telling her to return to her homeland. She returned to Constantinople, and then, aged 25, lived in the village of Kallikrateia, in the church of the Holy Apostles. She died at the age of 27.
The Greek name of St Parascheva was “paraskevi”, meaning “Friday”. The translation in languages as Romanian or Serbian was “Sfânta Vineri” or “Sveta Petka” meaning Saint Friday.
Mythologie waar Paraskeva bij hoort: Christelijk
Attributen: kruis