The Church today venerates the memory of John the Merciful, Patriarch of Alexandria.
St. John the Merciful was born in 555 on the island of Cyprus. His father, Epiphanius, was the ruler of Cyprus. The saint was consecrated Archbishop of Alexandria in 608. A man of commendable decency, in his zeal for Orthodoxy he strove to fight the many heresies among the Christians in Egypt at the time; but above all, he was renowned for his singular generosity, humility and sympathy towards all, especially the poor.