This famous follower of Christ was betrothed to Him from her early years. Her father, Dioscorus, was a pagan in the city of Heliopolis in Egypt and was famed for his wealth and standing. Dioscorus shut up his only daughter, who was both intelligent and beautiful, in a high tower, surrounded her with all possible comforts, gave her a host of attendants, set up idols for worship and built her a bathroom with two windows.

The unknown village of Mutalaska, in the providence of Cappadocia, became famous through this great light of the Orthodox Church, for Saint Savva was born there. He left the home of his parents, John and Sophia, at the age of eight and became a monk in a nearby Monastery called 'Flavian's'. After ten years, he moved to the Monasteries of Palestine, staying longest in the Monastery of Saint Efthimius (Euthymius) the Great (+ Jan. 20th) and Theoctistus. Efthymius, who had the gift of discernment, foretold that he would be a favor monk and leader of monks and that he would found a Monastery that would be greater than any other of that day.

"We believe that the collective wisdom and understanding of God handed down through the generations is a vital part of our faith--and no less important than Scripture. In addition to Scripture, our faith is understood and celebrated in the Eucharist, through the teaching of the Church Fathers and the Saints, through the doctrines established at the Ecumenical Councils, and through private and communal prayer."

The Holy Orthodox Christian Church was founded by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and maintains an unbroken continuity of faith that began with the Holy Apostles on the day of Pentecost. Throughout its two-thousand-year history, the Church has maintained, defended, and protected the doctrine and worship which was first established by the Holy Apostles and witnessed by their successors.

Those interested in converting to the Holy Orthodox Church hunger for sound doctrine, for the authentic Church of Christ. They desire to return to the Mother Church with the unbroken continuity for over the last two thousand years. They are looking for substance and beauty. They want their children to become Orthodox and a Church that will give them a living faith that they will want to follow.

We find the word "proselytism" in the Greek Septuagint translation of the Old Testament.  A non-Christian in the early Church who wished to become a Christian and went through religious instruction for three years was known a proselyte. In the Septuagint and the New Testament, it referred to pagan converts to Judaism.