Equal-to-the-Apostles, Martyr Photina (Svetlana) the Samaritan Woman, Equal-to-the-Apostles

Equal-to-the-Apostles Photina is the very Samaritan woman who conversed with Christ at Jacob's well near the city of Sychar and, recognizing Him as the Messiah, herself became the first to proclaim the Savior among her fellow townspeople (John 4:5-42). During the reign of Emperor Nero (54-68), who showed extraordinary cruelty in persecuting Christians, St. Photina lived in Carthage with her younger son Joses, where she fearlessly preached the Gospel. Having received word from the Lord of the sufferings awaiting her, she went to Rome and, together with her sons Joses and Victor (called Photinus) and her sisters Anastasia, Paraskeva, Kyriaki, Photo, and Photis, voluntarily appeared before Nero, confessing faith in Christ. After many torments that caused her no harm, the saint was taken to Nero's "Golden House," where she converted his daughter and a hundred court servant women to Christ. Three years later, after enduring further torture, St. Martyr Photina was thrown into a well, where she died in Rome in the year 66. For her apostolic labor of preaching, she is venerated as Equal-to-the-Apostles. Her memory is kept on March 20/April 2.