Venerable
Venerable Theodotia of Asia
III–IV вв.
Also known as: Прп. Феодотия, мать бессребреников Космы и Дамиана, Феодотия Азийская, Феодотия, мать свв. Космы и Дамиана
A Christian woman of Asia Minor, mother of the Unmercenaries Cosmas and Damian of Asia; widowed early, she devoted herself to prayer and raised her sons in the faith. Commemorated with them on 1/14 November.
Venerable Theodotia was the mother of the holy Unmercenaries and Wonderworkers Cosmas and Damian of Asia, who lived in Asia Minor no later than the 4th century.
According to the Life retold by St Demetrius of Rostov, the brothers' father was a pagan Greek and their mother Theodotia a Christian. Widowed early, she resolved never to remarry and devoted her life to prayer and the service of Christ, like the "true widow" praised by the Apostle Paul (1 Tim. 5:5). She brought up her sons in the Christian faith and the study of Scripture and had them taught by a God-fearing teacher, from whom they also learned medicine; later they healed people and animals without payment.
For her godly life the Church numbered her among the saints with the title of Venerable and commemorates her together with her sons on 1/14 November. Nothing more is known of her life.