Thaddeus of Stoudios

Holy Venerable Thaddeus of Stoudios, confessor, was a disciple of Saint Theodore the Studite and a defender of the veneration of icons. He suffered in the time of the Emperor Leo V (813 to 820), when the iconoclasts held power.

He was brought to trial. The heretics, mocking him, laid an icon of the Saviour on the ground and, falling on the saint by force, made him step on it. Then the judge told him that he had trampled the icon of Christ and should now join them. Thaddeus answered boldly that he honoured and lovingly kissed the holy icon of the Saviour, that what was done against his will had no force, and he condemned the impiety of the iconoclasts. For this he was beaten with sticks. He was dragged by his feet along the ground, senseless, and thrown outside the city wall, but he was still alive. A Christian took him into his house and washed the filth from him. Saint Thaddeus lived three more days and gave his soul to God.

He is commemorated on 11 January (new style). The story of his life was also written down by Saint Demetrius of Rostov.