September 15 Orthodox Feast: Great Martyr Nicetas the Goth — What Saint Day Is Today

If you are asking what saint day is today for September 15, 2026, the Orthodox calendar prominently commemorates Great Martyr Nicetas the Goth. The date also falls within the afterfeast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross and includes St. Acacius, martyrs Maximus, Theodotus, and Asclepiodota, Martyr Porphyry, the finding of the relics of St. Stephen the First Martyr, Venerable Philotheus, St. Joseph of Alaverdi, St. Symeon of Thessalonica, and the Novonikitsk Icon of the Mother of God. September 15 is a Tuesday, so there is no ordinary weekly fast.

What saint day is today: What is today's church holiday, September 15, 2026 on the Orthodox calendar

The best-known saint of September 15 is Great Martyr Nicetas the Goth. The day also continues the liturgical afterfeast of the Exaltation, celebrated the previous day. This means the Cross remains a prominent theme in worship even as the daily calendar introduces its own saints.

Other commemorations include Acacius the Confessor, martyrs Maximus, Theodotus, and Asclepiodota, Martyr Porphyry, the finding of the relics of St. Stephen the First Martyr, Venerable Philotheus, Bishop Joseph of Alaverdi, and the Novonikitsk Icon of the Mother of God. Some local calendars also remember additional hierarchs.

What does the after-holiday of the Exaltation mean

The afterfeast of the Exaltation is the period following September 14 in which the liturgy continues to use themes and hymns connected with the Holy Cross. Major Orthodox feasts often extend beyond one civil day in this way.

This is the Exaltation, not the Ascension. The two English words can be confused in rough translations from Slavic sources, but they refer to different feasts. The Ascension is a movable feast after Easter; the Exaltation of the Holy Cross is a fixed September feast.

Who is the great martyr Nikita

Nicetas, or Nikita, the Goth was a fourth-century Christian associated with the Gothic peoples living near the lower Danube and Black Sea region. Christian missions were active among the Goths during this period, and Nicetas became one of the best-known martyrs from that setting.

Church tradition remembers him for refusing to abandon Christianity during persecution under a Gothic ruler. His title "Great Martyr" is an honorific used for martyrs whose witness became especially prominent in the church's devotional tradition.

Why is Saint Akakiy remembered on September 15

Acacius, or Akakios, is remembered as a confessor and bishop associated with Melitene. The title "confessor" generally refers to a Christian who suffered for the faith but was not killed as a martyr.

The September 15 calendar also recalls the finding of his relics in some traditions. Relic commemorations are common in Orthodox calendars because the discovery, translation, or restoration of a saint's relics could become a distinct liturgical event separate from the saint's principal feast day.

Who are Maximus, Feodotus and Askliades

Maximus, Theodotus, and Asclepiodota are commemorated as martyrs. Their names appear in several transliteration forms, especially the female name Asclepiodota, which can look quite different in Ukrainian and English.

They belong to the early fourth-century martyrological tradition. As with many saints of that era, the calendar preserves the core memory of their Christian witness more securely than every narrative detail found in later hagiographies. They are honored together on September 15.

Who is the martyr Porphyry of Ephesus

Porphyry is remembered as a martyr associated with Ephesus. Several saints named Porphyry appear in Christian history, so the place-name and date are needed to identify the correct commemoration.

Ephesus was one of the great centers of early Christianity and appears repeatedly in the New Testament and later church history. The martyr's inclusion on September 15 adds another Asia Minor connection to a calendar already shaped by Gothic, Byzantine, Georgian, and wider Eastern Christian traditions.

Why is Stephen the First Martyr remembered on September 15

St. Stephen, described in Acts of the Apostles, is known as the First Martyr because the New Testament presents him as the first Christian killed for his witness to Christ. His principal feast is celebrated on another date, but September 15 can commemorate the finding of his relics.

Orthodox calendars often distinguish between a saint's main feast and later events involving relics. This is why Stephen appears here even though September 15 is not his primary annual commemoration.

Who is Reverend Philofey

Venerable Philotheus is remembered as a priest and monastic saint in Asia Minor. His title "venerable" indicates a saint whose life was associated primarily with monastic or ascetic holiness rather than martyrdom.

The surviving tradition emphasizes pastoral service, prayer, and a disciplined spiritual life. His commemoration balances the large number of martyrs listed on September 15 by representing the quieter continuity of parish and monastic Christianity.

Who is Saint Joseph Alaverdskyi?

Joseph of Alaverdi is one of the saints especially important in Georgian Orthodox history. Tradition counts him among the Syrian Fathers who helped strengthen monastic and missionary life in Georgia during the early medieval period.

He is associated with Alaverdi in Kakheti, where an important monastic center developed. His presence on September 15 demonstrates the international character of the Orthodox calendar: the same date can join saints from Gothic territories, Asia Minor, and the Caucasus.

Who is Saint Simeon of Thessalonica

Symeon of Thessalonica was a late Byzantine churchman and theologian known for writings on Orthodox worship, sacraments, and liturgical symbolism. Thessalonica was a major center of Byzantine Christianity, and Symeon's works became influential in later explanations of the liturgy.

If included in a local September 15 calendar, his commemoration adds a scholarly and episcopal figure to the day's saints. He is especially useful for readers interested in why Byzantine services are structured as they are.

What is the Novomykyt icon of the Mother of God

The Novonikitsk, or Novomykyt, Icon of the Mother of God is traditionally associated with the same broad historical period as Great Martyr Nicetas. Its name appears in different forms because of translation and transliteration.

The icon's commemoration belongs to Orthodox Marian devotion and accompanies the saints of the day. As with other icons, the object is venerated in relation to the Mother of God depicted in it; Orthodox teaching does not treat an icon itself as a deity.

Is there a fast on September 15, 2026

September 15, 2026 falls on a Tuesday. The strict one-day fast of the Exaltation was observed on September 14 and does not automatically continue into the following Tuesday.

Therefore there is no ordinary weekly fast on September 15. The afterfeast continues liturgically, but an afterfeast is not the same thing as an extended dietary fast. Individual monastic rules or personal spiritual disciplines may be stricter.

What is important to know about the church holiday of September 15, 2026

September 15 combines the afterfeast of the Exaltation with the commemoration of Great Martyr Nicetas the Goth and a broad group of other saints. The date includes martyrs, a confessor, monastic saints, a Georgian missionary figure, a Byzantine theologian, and a Marian icon.

There is no blanket work prohibition and no general weekly fast because the date is Tuesday. Readers should also distinguish the Exaltation from the Ascension when comparing translated calendars.

A final calendar note is useful when comparing sources: the Orthodox Church of Ukraine adopted the New Julian calendar for most fixed feasts in 2023, while some communities continue to use the Julian calendar. As a result, the same fixed commemoration can appear on two different civil dates. This does not mean the church is honoring two different saints or two different versions of the feast. It is usually a calendar difference. For practical observance, the schedule of a person's own parish is the most reliable guide.