Every day, millions of believers ask the same important question: what holiday is today according to the Church’s liturgical calendar, what folk signs and customs belong to the day, what is forbidden, whose name day is being celebrated, and which prayer will help us ask God for protection and peace of heart. September 17 is one of the most beloved folk feasts in the Orthodox calendar (new style / revised Julian calendar): the Church commemorates the Holy Martyrs Faith, Hope, Love, and their mother Sophia — a Roman widow and her three daughters who, in the second century, did not renounce Christ even in the face of death. Their very names became the three chief virtues of the Christian life. According to the old calendar this feast was kept on September 30, and since the change to the new style it falls on September 17. This complete guide recounts the lives of the holy martyrs in detail, gathers the folk customs of the day, and provides the canonical prayer texts.
Understanding the liturgical year helps us realize that every day is dedicated to a particular saint or a key Gospel event. Our ancestors always began the day with prayer, because prayer is the key to peace of soul. When we say the Lord’s Prayer or turn to Saints Faith, Hope, Love, and Sophia in the morning before work, or in the evening to quiet our hearts, we place our minds under God’s care and calm our souls before life’s worries and anxieties. The lives of these saints remind us: the three chief virtues — faith, hope, and love — are not only names, but demand daily faithfulness (cf. 1 Corinthians 13:13).
To strengthen your faith and your spiritual watchfulness (nepsis) amid daily temptations, we invite you to the spiritual treasury of the Christian East: the Philokalia (Dobrotolyubiye), where the Holy Fathers teach how to grow in faith, hope, and love.
The Orthodox Feast of September 17: Holy Martyrs Faith, Hope, Love, and Their Mother Sophia
The Lives of the Saints: A Mother and Three Daughters Before the Court
The holy martyrs lived in the second century, in the reign of Emperor Hadrian (117–138). The widow Sophia was a Christian and had three daughters, whom she named after the three chief Christian virtues: Faith (the eldest, about twelve years old), Hope (about ten), and Love (about nine) [1][5].
When the emperor was informed that Sophia and her daughters confessed Christ, they were summoned to court and ordered to offer sacrifice to the goddess Artemis. Sophia refused, and her daughters declared firmly that they wished to suffer for Christ together with their mother. Then the torturers began to torment the girls one by one — before their mother’s eyes, hoping that she would break. But Faith, Hope, and Love endured all the torments and were executed, while Sophia, left alive, buried her daughters’ bodies with prayer. Three days later she herself departed to the Lord from grief — and the Church venerates her as a martyr, for she received the suffering in her heart [1][5].
Why This Feast Is So Special
This is the only feast of the church year in which four names borne by millions of women stand at the center — and three of them are the names of virtues. That is why September 17 is at the same time a day of enormous numbers of name days and a day of reflection on the three foundations of the Christian life. Faith answers the question “What is truth?”, Hope — “What is there to wait for?”, and Love — “How should we live?” Sophia, whose name means “wisdom,” shows that a mother’s true wisdom is to teach her children to love God more than life itself [5].
What Believers Ask of Saints Faith, Hope, Love, and Sophia
- Faith — for the strengthening of faith, for overcoming doubts and spiritual dryness.
- Hope — for hope in despair, for patience in long trials, for those who wait for their loved ones from war or captivity.
- Love — for love in the family, for reconciliation and harmony in marriage.
- Sophia — for mothers, especially those who have suffered loss or who are anxious for their children; she is prayed to for a mother’s wisdom and strength [2][4].
The Catholic Feast of September 17: Saint Hildegard of Bingen and the Stigmata of Saint Francis
On September 17 the Roman Catholic Church keeps the memorial of Saint Hildegard of Bingen (1098–1179) — a Benedictine nun, visionary, composer, healer, and Doctor of the Church. She was called “the Trumpet of God” for her prophetic visions, and her spiritual songs are sung in churches to this day. On the same day the Catholic Church also recalls the stigmata of Saint Francis of Assisi — the moment when, in 1224, on the mountain of La Verna, Francis received the wounds of Christ on his body. Both memories echo the feast of Faith, Hope, Love, and Sophia: both Hildegard and Francis lived precisely by these three virtues to the end.
Folk Traditions of the Feast of Faith, Hope, and Love
In Ukraine this day has long been a special “women’s” and family feast. In the villages the tradition of “girls’ gatherings” was preserved: the girls gathered together, sang songs about love and faith, and wove wreaths of autumn flowers [5].
The Festive Loaf on the Table — the Main Tradition of the Day
According to folk custom, a festive loaf (korovai) must stand on the table on this day. In old times it was baked on the night before the feast and then adorned with a candle brought from church. It was believed that every member of the family must eat a piece of this bread — and then happiness and peace would always dwell in the home [3]. Married women were advised to visit the church and light two candles before the icon of Jesus Christ, and a third — at home in the evening, in the bread, with a prayer for peace in the family [3].
What Is Forbidden on September 17
- Do not quarrel or hold grudges — the day is considered a time of reconciliation [4].
- Do not swear or recall bad things [1].
- Women should not work at home, wash, iron, dig the earth, or do needlework — the day is dedicated to the keepers of the family [2][4][5].
- Do not do canning or preserving — it will turn out badly [3].
- Avoid holding lavish feasts [3][4].
- Do not lend money or things — so as not to “lend away” happiness from the home [4][5].
- Do not walk barefoot through the dew or eat fish or go fishing [1].
- Do not hold weddings — according to belief, the marriage will be short [2][4].
- Do not refuse help to those in need [4].
Weather Signs for September 17
- After Faith, Hope, and Love, the frosts begin [3].
- If the cranes fly away on September 17 — the feast of the Protection (Pokrova) will be frosty, and the autumn cold and early [3][4].
- A clear day without clouds — a dry autumn [4].
- Sunny and warm all day — a long, lingering autumn [1].
- Rain and chill — an early spring [1]; rain will bring much snow in winter [4].
- Heavy dew in the morning — warm weather [4].
- Leaves falling actively — cold weather is coming [1].
Name days on September 17 are among the most numerous of the year: they are celebrated by Faith, Hope, Love, and Sophia, as well as by Elias, Myron, Athanasius, Demetrius, Theodore, John, Irene, Paul, and Alexandra [1][4]. If among your loved ones there is a Faith, a Hope, a Love, or a Sophia, be sure to greet them on this day with a warm prayer and a kind word.
The Spiritual Laws of This Day: The Three Virtues
Faith. Faith is not a blind feeling, but trust in God in the midst of the unknown. Little Faith answered the torturers simply: “I believe in Christ.” For us this means: when we do not know what tomorrow will bring, we know Who holds tomorrow in His hands.
Hope. Hope is the memory that God’s word comes true even when circumstances say the opposite. Today, when millions of Ukrainians wait for their loved ones from the front and from captivity, prayer to Saint Hope sounds especially deeply: “Our Hope, do not leave us in our waiting.”
Love. “And the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13). Sophia looked upon her daughters’ torments and did not renounce Christ, because she loved Him above all, and she taught her daughters to love in the same way. The Commandment of Love for us today is simple: tell your loved ones that you love them — today, without putting it off.
Hesychast Watchfulness: The Virtues as Three Steps of Prayer
The hesychast Fathers taught that prayer grows by three steps, like the three virtues: first a person prays with faith — with the lips, even when the heart does not yet feel; then with hope, holding on to prayer in dryness and darkness; and finally with love, when prayer becomes joy rather than duty. If your prayer is now on the first or the second step, do not stop: Faith, Hope, and Love all began with a small “Lord, have mercy” [7].
The practice of prayer with the chotki on this day is simple:
- Take your prayer rope and say 33 knots of the Jesus Prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”
- At each decade add one petition: for Faith (the strengthening of faith), for Hope (hope in despair), for Love (love in the family).
- Dedicate one round of the prayer rope to prayer for mothers, in honor of Saint Sophia.
- Finish with thanksgiving: “Glory to You, O our God, glory to You.”
The short prayer of the day. “Holy martyrs Faith, Hope, Love, and their mother Sophia, you did not renounce Christ even before death. Pray for us: grant us, O Lord, faith without doubt, hope without despair, and love without hypocrisy. Holy Sophia, cover with a mother’s prayer all who are anxious for their children. Amen.”
Common Prayer on September 17 on Pray.ee
Prayer offered together has a special power: “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20). On this day, when the Church recalls the four holy names that became virtues, invite your family to common evening prayer — even for a few minutes, even with one Lord’s Prayer. And if in your family there is a Faith, a Hope, a Love, or a Sophia, pray for them in a special way.
On our prayer portal Pray.ee you can leave your prayer intention in the comments under this article — and the community of believers will pray for you and your loved ones. Write down whom or what you ask prayer for: for faith, for hope in despair, for love in the family, for mothers and children. Do not remain alone with your cares — in common prayer we bear one another’s burdens.
A Living Testimony: A Story from Our Community
“I have three daughters, and my husband and I named them Faith, Hope, and Love — not yet knowing how deeply these names would enter our lives. When my husband was at the front, the three of us prayed every evening before the icon of the holy martyrs. The youngest, Love, always added: ‘And for Mom too, because she is our Sophia — the wise one.’ My husband came home alive. Now September 17 is our second family Easter: we bake the festive loaf, set the candle from church, and give thanks.”
If you have your own testimony of God’s help, share it in the comments on Pray.ee. Your word may be the very spark of faith that someone is missing right now.
The Canonical Prayers of September 17
Troparion of the Holy Martyrs Faith, Hope, Love, and Sophia, Tone 4
Your martyrs Faith, Hope, Love, and Sophia, O Lord, in their sufferings received imperishable crowns from You, our God; for having Your strength, they overcame the persecutors and destroyed the feeble insolence of demons. By their prayers save our souls.
Prayer to the Holy Martyrs (for home use)
O holy and glorious martyrs Faith, Hope, Love, and their mother Sophia, you illumined the three virtues with your names and witnessed them with your lives. Entreat Christ God for us: let our faith be firm, our hope unfailing, and our love sincere. Cover with your prayers all mothers, children, and our families, and obtain for us forgiveness of sins and great mercy. Amen.
A Mother’s Prayer (in honor of Saint Sophia)
Holy Sophia, mother of the holy martyrs, you taught your daughters to love God more than life. Pray for me, a sinner, that I too may have the wisdom and strength to hand on to my children faith, hope, and love. Cover my children with your veil, preserve them from all evil, and lead them to salvation. Amen.
FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions About September 17
What church feast falls on September 17, 2026?
According to the new style (revised Julian calendar), the Orthodox Church on September 17 commemorates the holy martyrs Faith, Hope, Love, and their mother Sophia (second century, Rome). According to the old calendar this feast was kept on September 30. The Roman Catholic Church recalls on this day Saint Hildegard of Bingen and the stigmata of Saint Francis of Assisi.
Who were the holy martyrs Faith, Hope, Love, and Sophia?
A Roman widow, Sophia, and her three daughters — Faith, Hope, and Love (the names of the three chief Christian virtues) — who, in the reign of Emperor Hadrian, refused to offer sacrifice to the pagan gods. The daughters were tortured before their mother’s eyes and executed, and Sophia buried them and shortly afterward departed to the Lord from grief.
What are the traditions of the feast of Faith, Hope, and Love?
A festive loaf must stand on the table; in old times it was baked on the night before the feast and adorned with a candle brought from church; everyone eats a piece for happiness and peace in the home. Married women light two candles in church before the icon of Christ and a third at home. In the villages, girls’ gatherings with songs and wreaths of autumn flowers are preserved.
What is forbidden on September 17?
One must not quarrel or swear; women should not work at home or do needlework; one must not do canning, hold lavish feasts, lend money, walk barefoot through the dew, eat fish or go fishing, hold weddings, or refuse help to those in need.
Who celebrates name days on September 17?
Name days are celebrated by Faith, Hope, Love, and Sophia, as well as by Elias, Myron, Athanasius, Demetrius, Theodore, John, Irene, Paul, and Alexandra. These are among the most numerous name days of the year.
Sources
- [1] RBC-Ukraine — The feast of September 17: main signs and prohibitions, name days (in Ukrainian)
- [2] Glavred — The church feast of September 17: what is forbidden on the day of Faith, Hope, and Love (in Ukrainian)
- [3] Radio Trek — September 17: customs, signs and prohibitions of the feast (the loaf and the candles) (in Ukrainian)
- [4] RBC-Ukraine — What feast is September 17: traditions, prohibitions, name days (in Ukrainian)
- [5] Inseinin — September 17: the church feast of the martyrs Faith, Hope, Love, and their mother Sophia (in Ukrainian)
- [6] The Philokalia (Dobrotolyubiye) — Pray.ee