Szent Kozma és Damján Commemorative Plaque in Budapest

Cosmas and Damian ( ar, قُزما ودميان, translit=Qozma wa Demyaan; grc-gre, Κοσμᾶς καὶ Δαμιανός, translit=Kosmás kai Damianós; la, Cosmas et Damianus; AD) were two

Arab The Arabs (singular: Arab; singular ar, عَرَبِيٌّ, DIN 31635: , , plural ar, عَرَب, DIN 31635: , Arabic pronunciation: ), also known as the Arab people, are an ethnic group mainly inhabiting the Arab world in Western Asia, ...

physicians in the town

Cyrrhus Cyrrhus (; el, Κύρρος ''Kyrrhos'') is a city in ancient Syria founded by Seleucus Nicator, one of Alexander the Great's generals. Other names for the city include Coricium, Corice, Hagioupolis, Nebi Huri ( ar, نبي هوري), and Khoros ...

, and were reputedly twin brothers, and early

Christian martyrs In Christianity, a martyr is a person considered to have died because of their testimony for Jesus or faith in Jesus. In years of the early church, stories depict this often occurring through death by sawing, stoning, crucifixion, burning at th ...

. They practised their profession in the seaport of Aegeae, then in the Roman

province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''Roman province, provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire ...

Syria Syria ( ar, سُورِيَا or سُورِيَة, translit=Sūriyā), officially the Syrian Arab Republic ( ar, الجمهورية العربية السورية, al-Jumhūrīyah al-ʻArabīyah as-Sūrīyah), is a Western Asian country loc ...

. Cosmas and Damian were third century Arabian-born twin brothers who embraced Christianity and practised medicine and surgery without a fee. This led them to being named ''anargyroi'' (from the Greek , 'the silverless' or ' unmercenaries'); by this, they attracted many to the Christian faith. They reputedly cured blindness, fever, paralysis and reportedly expelled a breast serpent. They were arrested by Lysias, governor of Cilicia (modern day Çukurova, Turkey) during the Diocletian persecution because of their faith and fame as healers. Emperor Diocletian was a religious fanatic and favoured the pantheism of the Olympian Gods. He issued a series of edicts that condemned the Christians in his attempt to wipe out Christianity from his empire.

Lives

Gerard Seghers, Saint Cosmas and Saint Damian (17th century)

Nothing is known of their lives except that they suffered martyrdom in Syria during the persecution of the Emperor

Diocletian Diocletian (; la, Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus, grc, Διοκλητιανός, Diokletianós; c. 242/245 – 311/312), nicknamed ''Iovius'', was Roman emperor from 284 until his abdication in 305. He was born Gaius Valerius Diocles ...

. According to Christian traditions, the twin brothers were born in Arabia and became skilled doctors. Saladino d'Ascoli, a 15th century Italian physician, claims that the medieval electuary, a pasty mass consisting of a drug mixed with sugar and water or honey suitable for oral administration, known as opopira, a complex compound medicine used to treat diverse maladies including paralysis, was invented by Cosmas and Damian. During the

persecution Persecution is the systematic mistreatment of an individual or group by another individual or group. The most common forms are religious persecution, racism, and political persecution, though there is naturally some overlap between these term ...

under Diocletian, Cosmas and Damian were arrested by order of the

Prefect Prefect (from the Latin ''praefectus'', substantive adjectival form of ''praeficere'': "put in front", meaning in charge) is a magisterial title of varying definition, but essentially refers to the leader of an administrative area. A prefect's ...

Cilicia Cilicia (); el, Κιλικία, ''Kilikía''; Middle Persian: ''klkyʾy'' (''Klikiyā''); Parthian: ''kylkyʾ'' (''Kilikiyā''); tr, Kilikya). is a geographical region in southern Anatolia in Turkey, extending inland from the northeastern coa ...

, one Lysias who is otherwise unknown, who ordered them under

torture Torture is the deliberate infliction of severe pain or suffering on a person for reasons such as punishment, extracting a confession, interrogation for information, or intimidating third parties. Some definitions are restricted to acts c ...

to recant. However, according to legend they stayed true to their faith, enduring being hung on a cross, stoned and shot by arrows and finally suffered execution by

beheading Decapitation or beheading is the total separation of the head from the body. Such an injury is invariably fatal to humans and most other animals, since it deprives the brain of oxygenated blood, while all other organs are deprived of the i ...

. Anthimus, Leontius and Euprepius, their younger brothers, who were inseparable from them throughout life, shared in their martyrdom.

Veneration

Holy Cosmas and holy Damian shrine in St

The veneration of Cosmas and Damian quickly spread beyond Constantinople; accounts of their martyrdom were rewritten by various authors such as

Andrew of Crete Andrew of Crete ( el, , c. 650 – July 4, 712 or 726 or 740), also known as Andrew of Jerusalem, was an 8th-century bishop, theologian, homilist,A list of forty of his discourses, together with twenty-one edited sermons, is given in ''Patrologi ...

, Peter of Argos,

Theodore II Laskaris Theodore II Doukas Laskaris or Ducas Lascaris ( gr, Θεόδωρος Δούκας Λάσκαρις, Theodōros Doukas Laskaris; 1221/1222 – 16 August 1258) was Emperor of Nicaea from 1254 to 1258. He was the only child of Emperor John II ...

, and a certain Maximus around 1300. The legends are preserved also in Syriac, Coptic, Georgian, Armenian, and Latin. As early as the 4th century, churches dedicated to the twin saints were established at

Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...

, in

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...

and in

Mesopotamia Mesopotamia ''Mesopotamíā''; ar, بِلَاد ٱلرَّافِدَيْن or ; syc, ܐܪܡ ܢܗܪ̈ܝܢ, or , ) is a historical region of Western Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the F ...

. Devotion to the two saints spread rapidly in both East and West.

Theodoret Theodoret of Cyrus or Cyrrhus ( grc-gre, Θεοδώρητος Κύρρου; AD 393 – 458/466) was an influential theologian of the School of Antioch, biblical commentator, and Christian bishop of Cyrrhus (423–457). He played a pivo ...

records the division of their reputed relics. Their relics, deemed miraculous, were buried in the city of

in Syria. Churches were built in their honor by Archbishop

Proclus Proclus Lycius (; 8 February 412 – 17 April 485), called Proclus the Successor ( grc-gre, Πρόκλος ὁ Διάδοχος, ''Próklos ho Diádokhos''), was a Greek Neoplatonist philosopher, one of the last major classical philosophers ...

and by Emperor

Justinian I Justinian I (; la, Iustinianus, ; grc-gre, Ἰουστινιανός ; 48214 November 565), also known as Justinian the Great, was the Byzantine emperor from 527 to 565. His reign is marked by the ambitious but only partly realized ''renovat ...

(527–565), who sumptuously restored the city of Cyrrhus and dedicated it to the twins, but brought their purported relics to

Constantinople la, Constantinopolis ota, قسطنطينيه , alternate_name = Byzantion (earlier Greek name), Nova Roma ("New Rome"), Miklagard/Miklagarth (Old Norse), Tsargrad ( Slavic), Qustantiniya (Arabic), Basileuousa ("Queen of Cities"), Megalopolis (" ...

; there, following his cure, ascribed to the intercession of Cosmas and Damian, Justinian, in gratitude also built and adorned their church at Constantinople, and it became a celebrated place of pilgrimage. At Rome, Pope

Felix IV Pope Felix IV (489/490 – 22 September 530) was the bishop of Rome from 12 July 526 to his death. He was the chosen candidate of Ostrogoth King Theodoric the Great, who had imprisoned Felix's predecessor, Pope John I, John I. Rise Felix came fr ...

(526–530) rededicated the Library of Peace (''Bibliotheca Pacis'') as a

basilica In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica is a large public building with multiple functions, typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek East. The building gave its name ...

Santi Cosma e Damiano The basilica of Santi Cosma e Damiano is a titular church in Rome, Italy. The lower portion of the building is accessible through the Roman Forum and incorporates original Roman buildings, but the entrance to the upper level is outside the Forum ...

in the Forum of Vespasian in their honour. The church is much rebuilt but still famed for its sixth-century mosaics illustrating the saints. What are said to be their skulls are venerated in the

Convent of Las Descalzas Reales The Convent of Las Descalzas Reales ( es, Monasterio de las Descalzas Reales) is a royal monastery situated in Madrid, Spain, administered by the Patrimonio Nacional. History The ''Monasterio de las Descalzas Reales'', literally the "Monaste ...

of the

Clares Clares is a small village in the Guadalajara province, incorporated since 1969 in the Maranchón municipality, belonging to the Señorio de Molina-Alto Tajo region in the autonomous community of Castilla-La Mancha, Spain. Geography Location ...

Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...

, where they have been since 1581, the gift of Maria, daughter of

Emperor Charles V Charles V, french: Charles Quint, it, Carlo V, nl, Karel V, ca, Carles V, la, Carolus V (24 February 1500 – 21 September 1558) was Holy Roman Emperor and Archduke of Austria from 1519 to 1556, King of Spain ( Castile and Aragon) ...

. They had previously been removed from Rome to

Bremen Bremen (Low German also: ''Breem'' or ''Bräm''), officially the City Municipality of Bremen (german: Stadtgemeinde Bremen, ), is the capital of the German state Free Hanseatic City of Bremen (''Freie Hansestadt Bremen''), a two-city-state consis ...

in the tenth century, and thence to

Bamberg Bamberg (, , ; East Franconian: ''Bambärch'') is a town in Upper Franconia, Germany, on the river Regnitz close to its confluence with the river Main. The town dates back to the 9th century, when its name was derived from the nearby ' castle. C ...

. Other skulls said to be theirs were discovered in 1334 by

Burchard Grelle Burchard, Burghard or Borchard Grelle (died 12 August 1344) was a German Roman Catholic bishop. From 1327 to 1344 he was Archbishop of Bremen, one of only two commoners to be elected to that office (the other was Johann Rode von Wale), resulting ...

Archbishop of Bremen This list records the bishops of the Archdiocese of Bremen, Roman Catholic diocese of Bremen (german: link=no, Bistum Bremen), supposedly a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Cologne, Archbishopric of Cologne, then of the bishops of Bremen, who were ...

. He "personally 'miraculously' retrieved the relics of the holy physicians Cosmas and Damian, which were allegedly immured and forgotten in the choir of the

Bremen Cathedral Bremen Cathedral (german: Bremer Dom or St. Petri Dom zu Bremen), dedicated to St. Peter, is a church situated in the Bremer Marktplatz, market square in the center of Bremen (city), Bremen. The cathedral belongs to the Evangelical Church of Breme ...

. In celebration of the retrieval Archbishop and Chapter arranged a feast at Pentecost 1335, when the relics were translated from the wall to a more dignified place. Grelle claimed the relics were those Archbishop

Adaldag Adaldag (c. 90028 April 988; also Adelgis, Adelger, and Adalgag) was the seventh archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen, from 937 until his death. He was of noble birth, a relation and pupil of Adalward, Bishop of Verden, and became canon of Hildesheim. Ott ...

brought from Rome in 965. The cathedral master-builder Johann Hemeling made a shrine for the relics, which was finished around 1420. The shrine, made from carved oak wood covered with gilt and rolled silver is considered an important mediaeval gold work. In 1649 Bremen's Chapter, Lutheran by this time, sold the shrine without the heads to Maximilian I of Bavaria. The two heads remained in Bremen and came into the possession of the small Roman Catholic community. They were shown from 1934 to 1968 in the Church of St. Johann and in 1994 they were buried in the crypt. The shrine is now shown in the

Jesuit , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

church of St Michael in

Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the States of Germany, German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the List of cities in Germany by popu ...

. At least since 1413 another supposed pair of skulls of the saints has been stored in St Stephens's Cathedral in Vienna. Other relics are claimed by the

Church of San Giorgio Maggiore San Giorgio Maggiore (San Zorzi Mazor in Venetian) is a 16th-century Benedictine church on the island of the same name in Venice, northern Italy, designed by Andrea Palladio, and built between 1566 and 1610. The church is a basilica in the class ...

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...

The martyr twins are invoked in the

Canon of the Mass The Canon of the Mass ( la, Canon Missæ), also known as the Canon of the Roman Mass and in the Mass of Paul VI as the Roman Canon or Eucharistic Prayer I, is the oldest anaphora used in the Roman Rite of Mass. The name ''Canon Missæ'' was used in ...

in the prayer known as the ''Communicantes'' (from the first Latin word of the prayer): "In communion with the whole Church, they venerate above all others the memory of the glorious ever-virgin Mary, Mother of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ, then of blessed Joseph, husband of the Virgin, your blessed Apostles and Martyrs, Peter and Paul, Andrew, James, ...John and Paul, ''Cosmas and Damian'' and all your Saints: grant through their merits and prayers that in all things we may be defended by the help of your protection." They are also invoked in the

Litany of the Saints The Litany of the Saints (Latin: ''Litaniae Sanctorum'') is a formal prayer of the Roman Catholic Church as well as the Old Catholic Church, Anglo-Catholic communities, and Western Rite Orthodox communities. It is a prayer to the Triune God, which ...

, and in the older form of the Roman rite, in the

Collect The collect ( ) is a short general prayer of a particular structure used in Christian liturgy. Collects appear in the liturgies of Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Anglican, Methodist, Lutheran, and Presbyterian churches, among oth ...

for Thursday in the Third Week of Lent, as the

station church Station days were days of fasting in the early Christian Church, associated with a procession to certain prescribed churches in Rome, where the Mass and Vespers would be celebrated to mark important days of the liturgical year. Although other citi ...

for this day is

. Their

feast day The calendar of saints is the traditional Christian method of organizing a liturgical year by associating each day with one or more saints and referring to the day as the feast day or feast of said saint. The word "feast" in this context d ...

in the

General Roman Calendar The General Roman Calendar is the liturgical calendar that indicates the dates of celebrations of saints and mysteries of the Lord (Jesus Christ) in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church, wherever this liturgical rite is in use. These celebra ...

, which had been on 27 September, was moved in 1969 to 26 September because 27 September is the ''dies natalis'' ("day of birth" into Heaven) of

Vincent de Paul Vincent de Paul, CM (24 April 1581 – 27 September 1660), commonly known as Saint Vincent de Paul, was a Occitan French Catholic priest who dedicated himself to serving the poor. In 1622 Vincent was appointed a chaplain to the galleys. Afte ...

, now more widely venerated in the

Latin Church , native_name_lang = la , image = San Giovanni in Laterano - Rome.jpg , imagewidth = 250px , alt = Façade of the Archbasilica of St. John in Lateran , caption = Archbasilica of Saint Joh ...

. In Canada it has been moved to 25 September (as 26 September is the Feast of the Canadian Martyrs in Canada). Sts Cosmas and Damian are regarded as the patrons of physicians, surgeons, and pharmacists and are sometimes represented with medical emblems. They are also regarded as the patron saints of twins. In

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

, the twin saints are regarded as protectors of children, and 27 September is commemorated, especially in

Rio de Janeiro Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...

, by giving children bags of candy with the saints' effigy printed on them and throughout the entire state of Bahia where Catholics and adepts of

Candomblé Candomblé () is an African diasporic religion that developed in Brazil during the 19th century. It arose through a process of syncretism between several of the traditional religions of West Africa, especially that of the Yoruba, and the Roman ...

religion offer typical food such as caruru. The ritual consists of first offering the food to seven children that are no older than seven years old and then having them feast while sitting on the floor and eating with their hands. The Church of Saints Cosmas and Damian, in Igarassu,

Pernambuco Pernambuco () is a state of Brazil, located in the Northeast region of the country. With an estimated population of 9.6 million people as of 2020, making it seventh-most populous state of Brazil and with around 98,148 km², being the 19 ...

is Brazil's oldest church, built in 1535. In the UK Damian is the

dexter Dexter may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Dexter, the main character of the American animated series ''Dexter's Laboratory'' that aired from 1996 to 2003 * Dexter, a fictional character in the British Diary of a Bad Man#Main, web series ''Diar ...

side supporter in the

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central ele ...

of the

British Dental Association The British Dental Association (BDA) is a registered trade union for dentists in the United Kingdom. Its stated mission is to "promote the interests of members, advance the science, arts and ethics of dentistry and improve the nation's oral he ...

. Cosmas and Damian are venerated every year in

Utica, New York Utica () is a Administrative divisions of New York, city in the Mohawk Valley and the county seat of Oneida County, New York, United States. The List of cities in New York, tenth-most-populous city in New York State, its population was 65,283 ...

at St. Anthony's Parish during the annual pilgrimage which takes place on the last weekend of September (close to the 27 September feast day). There are thousands of pilgrims who come to honor the saints. Over 80 busloads come from Canada and other destinations. The 2-day festival includes music (La Banda Rosa), much Italian food, masses and processions through the streets of East Utica. It is one of the largest festivals honoring saints in the northeast USA.

Eastern Christianity

In the

Eastern Orthodox Church The Eastern Orthodox Church, also called the Orthodox Church, is the second-largest Christian church, with approximately 220 million baptized members. It operates as a communion of autocephalous churches, each governed by its bishops via ...

Eastern Catholic Churches The Eastern Catholic Churches or Oriental Catholic Churches, also called the Eastern-Rite Catholic Churches, Eastern Rite Catholicism, or simply the Eastern Churches, are 23 Eastern Christian autonomous (''sui iuris'') particular churches of th ...

, and the

Oriental Orthodox Churches The Oriental Orthodox Churches are Eastern Christian churches adhering to Miaphysite Christology, with approximately 60 million members worldwide. The Oriental Orthodox Churches are part of the Nicene Christian tradition, and represent ...

, Cosmas and Damian are venerated as a type of saint known as Unmercenary Physicians ( el, ἀνάργυροι, ''anargyroi,'' ''"without money"''). This classification of saints is unique to the Eastern Church and refers to those who heal purely out of love for God and man, strictly observing the command of Jesus: "Freely have you received, freely give." («Δωρεὰν ἐλάβετε, δωρεὰν δότε...» ) While each of the Unmercenaries has his own

s, all are commemorated together on the first Sunday in November, in a feast known as the

Synaxis {{For, the moth genus, Synaxis (moth) A synaxis ( el, σύναξις "gathering"; Slavonic: собор, ''sobor'') is a liturgical assembly in Eastern Christianity (the Eastern Orthodox Church and those Eastern Catholic Churches which follow the ...

of the Unmercenary Physicians. The Orthodox celebrate no less than three different sets of saints by the name of Cosmas and Damian, each with their own distinct

: *Saints Cosmas and Damian of Cilicia (Arabia) (

17 October Events Pre-1600 * 690 – Empress Wu Zetian Wu Zetian (17 February 624 – 16 December 705), personal name Wu Zhao, was the ''de facto'' ruler of the Tang dynasty from 665 to 705, ruling first through others and then (from 690) ...

) Brothers, according to Christian legend they were beaten and beheaded together with three other Christians: Leontius, Anthimus, and Eutropius. *Saints Cosmas and Damian of Asia Minor — alternately, of Mesopotamia (

1 November Events Pre-1600 *365 – The Alemanni cross the Rhine and invade Gaul. Emperor Valentinian I moves to Paris to command the army and defend the Gallic cities. * 996 – Emperor Otto III issues a deed to Gottschalk, Bishop of Freising, ...

) Twin sons of

Theodota of Philippi Theodota of Philippi (died 318) was a Greek harlot and martyr. Her feast day is 29 September. Smith Lewis's translation Agnes Smith Lewis (1843–1926) in her ''Select Narratives of Holy Women: Translation: From the Syro-Antiochene Or Sinai Pal ...

. Died peacefully and were buried together at Thereman in Mesopotamia. *Saints Cosmas and Damian of Rome (

1 July Events Pre-1600 * 69 – Tiberius Julius Alexander orders his Roman legions in Alexandria to swear allegiance to Vespasian as Emperor. * 552 – Battle of Taginae: Byzantine forces under Narses defeat the Ostrogoths in Italy, and the ...

) Brothers, according to Christian tradition they were

martyr A martyr (, ''mártys'', "witness", or , ''marturia'', stem , ''martyr-'') is someone who suffers persecution and death for advocating, renouncing, or refusing to renounce or advocate, a religious belief or other cause as demanded by an externa ...

ed outside Rome by a jealous pagan physician during the reign of the Roman Emperor

Carinus Marcus Aurelius Carinus (died 285) was Roman emperor from 283 to 285. The elder son of emperor Carus, he was first appointed ''Caesar'' and in the beginning of 283 co-emperor of the western portion of the empire by his father. Official accoun ...

(283–284). Orthodox

icon An icon () is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, in the cultures of the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Catholic churches. They are not simply artworks; "an icon is a sacred image used in religious devotion". The most ...

s of the saints depict them vested as laymen holding medicine boxes. Often each will also hold a spoon with which to dispense medicine. The handle of the spoon is normally shaped like a cross to indicate the importance of spiritual as well as physical healing, and that all cures come from God. ApseCosmasDamianChrist

Churches

Australia

* St Mary & Sts Cozman and Demian Coptic Orthodox Church *

St Damians Catholic Church, Bundoora, Victoria ST, St, or St. may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Stanza, in poetry * Suicidal Tendencies, an American heavy metal/hardcore punk band * Star Trek, a science-fiction media franchise * Summa Theologica, a compendium of Catholic philosophy ...

* Sts Anargiri, Greek Orthodox Church, Oakleigh, Victoria *

Agioi Anargiri Greek Orthodox Church, Sydney, New South Wales ''Agios'' ( el, Άγιος), plural ''Agioi'' (), transcribes masculine gender Greek words meaning 'sacred' or 'saint' (for example Agios Dimitrios, Agioi Anargyroi). It is frequently shortened in colloquial language to ''Ai'' (for example Agios E ...

Brazil

Church of Saints Cosme and Damião Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * C ...

, Igarassu,

Bulgaria

* Sandanski Monastery "Sveti Sveti Kozma i Damyan" * Kuklen Monastery "Sveti Sveti Kozma i Damyan" * Gigintsi Monastery "St.St. Bezsrebrenitsi Kosma and Damyan" * Church of "St.St. Bezsrebrenitsi Kosma and Damyan", Sandanski * Church of "St.St. Bezsrebrenitsi Kosma and Damyan", Svetovrachane * Church of "St.St. Bezsrebrenitsi Kosma and Damyan", Plovdiv * Church of "St.St. Bezsrebrenitsi Kosma and Damyan", Smolyan area * Church of "St.St. Bezsrebrenitsi Kosma and Damyan", Belashtitsa * Church of "St.St. Bezsrebrenitsi Kosma and Damyan", Krichim

Canada

* Church of Saint-Côme,

Matawinie Regional County Municipality Matawinie is a regional county municipality in the region of Lanaudière in southwestern Quebec, Canada. Its seat is Rawdon. The population according to the 2021 Canadian Census was 55,500. Subdivisions There are 27 subdivisions within the RCM ...

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

* Eglise St-Damien, Saint Damien,

Croatia

Church of Saints Cosmas and Damian, Lastovo The Church of Saints Cosmas and Damian ( hr, Sv Kuzma i Damjan) is a Roman Catholic church on Lastovo Island off the coast of Croatia. History and description It is located in the oldest part of the town square and dates back to the 14th century. ...

Church of Saints Cosmas and Damian, Kuzminec Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * C ...

* Sv. Kuzman i Damjan, Polaća

England

Blean Blean is a village and civil parish in the City of Canterbury, Canterbury district of Kent, England. The civil parish is large and is mostly woodland, much of which is ancient woodland. The village, developed village within the parish is scattere ...

, Kent, church of St Cosmus and St Damian *

Challock Challock is a mostly wooded, large village and civil parish in the Borough of Ashford, Kent, England. The village name derives from the old English 'Cealfloca' - calf enclosure. A clear nucleus of the village is centred south of the port of F ...

, Kent *

Keymer Keymer is a village in Hassocks civil parish, in the Mid Sussex District of West Sussex, England. It lies on the B2116 road south of Burgess Hill. Keymer was an ancient parish that like its near neighbour Clayton was merged into the modern ...

, Sussex, St Cosmas and St Damian Church *

Sherrington Sherrington is a small village and civil parish on the River Wylye in Wiltshire, England. The part of the Great Ridge Wood known as Snailcreep Hanging lies entirely within Sherrington. Location Sherrington is near the larger village of Codfor ...

Wiltshire Wiltshire (; abbreviated Wilts) is a historic and ceremonial county in South West England with an area of . It is landlocked and borders the counties of Dorset to the southwest, Somerset to the west, Hampshire to the southeast, Gloucestershire ...

, church of St Cosmo and St Damian * Stretford, near

Leominster Leominster ( ) is a market town in Herefordshire, England, at the confluence of the River Lugg and its tributary the River Kenwater. The town is north of Hereford and south of Ludlow in Shropshire. With a population of 11,700, Leominster is t ...

, Herefordshire, church no longer in use and in the care of the

Churches Conservation Trust The Churches Conservation Trust is a registered charity whose purpose is to protect historic churches at risk in England. The charity cares for over 350 churches of architectural, cultural and historic significance, which have been transferred in ...

Gospel Oak Gospel Oak is an inner urban area of north west London in the London Borough of Camden at the very south of Hampstead Heath. The neighbourhood is positioned between Hampstead to the north-west, Dartmouth Park to the north-east, Kentish Town to t ...

, north London, Greek Orthodox Church of St Cosmas and Damian (at 1 Gordon House Road, London NW5)

France

*Saint Côme-Saint Damien church,

Luzarches Luzarches () is a commune in the Val-d'Oise department in Île-de-France in northern France. Luzarches station has rail connections to Sarcelles and Paris. Just south of the town is a monument on the D316, which commemorates the closest distance ...

Val d'Oise Val-d'Oise (, "Vale of the Oise") is a department in the Île-de-France region, Northern France. It was created in 1968 following the split of the Seine-et-Oise department. In 2019, Val-d'Oise had a population of 1,249,674.

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

*Saint Côme-Saint Damien church,

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

*Saint Côme-Saint Damien church, Chamboulive,

*Saint Côme-Saint Damien church,

Serdinya Serdinya (; ca, Serdinyà) is a commune in the Pyrénées-Orientales department in southern France. Residents are Serdinya are called ''Serdinyanais'' in French and ''Serdinyanencs'' in Catalan. Geography Localisation Serdinya is locate ...

Germany

Essen Cathedral Essen Minster (German: ), since 1958 also Essen Cathedral () is the seat of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Essen, the "Diocese of the Ruhr", founded in 1958. The church, dedicated to Saints Cosmas and Damian and the Blessed Virgin Mary, stands on ...

Essen Essen (; Latin: ''Assindia'') is the central and, after Dortmund, second-largest city of the Ruhr, the largest urban area in Germany. Its population of makes it the fourth-largest city of North Rhine-Westphalia after Cologne, Düsseldorf and D ...

Goa

* Igreja dos Santos Cosme e Damião, Bogmalo

Greece

* 10th century chapel of ''Agioi Anargyroi'' in the town of Servia. * 11th century church in the city of

Kastoria Kastoria ( el, Καστοριά, ''Kastoriá'' ) is a city in northern Greece in the modern regions of Greece, region of Western Macedonia. It is the capital of Kastoria (regional unit), Kastoria regional unit, in the Geographic regions of Gree ...

Hungary

*Szent Kozma és Damján templom, Vát,

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...

Italy

* Basilica of Santi Cosma e Damiano, I Santi Medici, Bitonto, Bari, Italy * Sanctuary o
San Cosimo alla Macchia
in Oria, Apulia, Italy *

*Chiesa Matrice-Basilica minore Pontificia dal venerdì 18 febbraio 2000-Santuario dal lunedì 12 settembre 1938-Parrocchia dal mercoledì 16 marzo e martedì 19 aprile 1814 dei Santi Medici e Martiri Cosma e Damiano; Alberobello, Puglia, Italy

Kenya

*Orthodox Cathedral of Saints Anargyroi, Nairobi

North Macedonia

*Sv. Kuzman i Damjan Ohrid *Sv. Kuzman i Damjan Jedoarce, Tetovo *Sv. Kuzman i Damjan Govrlevo, Skopje *Sv. Kuzman i Damjan Triangla, Skopje *Sv. Kuzman i Damjan Bolnicka Crkva, Veles (Sveti Besrebrenici Kozma i Damjan)

Mexico

*Saint Cosmas and Damian Church, Mazatecochco,

Tlaxcala Tlaxcala (; , ; from nah, Tlaxcallān ), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Tlaxcala ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Tlaxcala), is one of the 32 states which comprise the Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 60 municipaliti ...

*Saint Cosmas and Damian Church,

Xaloztoc Xaloztoc (municipality) is a municipality in Tlaxcala in south-eastern Mexico. It is one of 60 municipalities in the state, and serves as the capital of Tlaxcala. The INEGI The National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI by its nam ...

, Tlaxcala *Saint Cosmas and Damian Church, San Damián Texoloc, Tlaxcala *San Cosme y Damián Church,

Villa de Cos Villa de Cos is one of 58 municipalities of Zacatecas, Mexico. It is located in the center-east of the state, bordered by the municipalities of Mazapil, Francisco R. Murguia, Río Grande, Felipe Pescador, Fresnillo, Panuco and Guadalupe in Za ...

, Zacatecas

Paraguay

* Misión jesuítica de San Cosme y Damián

Russia

Church of Cosmas and Damian, Novgorod The Church of St. Cosmas and Damian on Kholop Street (russian: Церковь святых Кузьмы и Демьяна на Холопьей улице), was a church in medieval Novgorod the Great located in the Nerev End, just north of the Det ...

Serbia

Church of Saints Cosmas and Damian, Ivanjica Church of Staints Cosmas and Damian is a church of the Serbian Orthodox Church, located in the Ostatija - Koritnik mountain Golija in the , Ivanjica. It is a medieval historical and cultural monument in Serbia. The church belongs to the Eparchy of ...

* Zočište Monastery,

Kosovo Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...

Slovakia

* Kostol sv. Kozmu a Damiána, Bratislava - Dúbravka * Kostol sv. Kozmu a Damiána, Trenčín - Biskupice * Kostol sv. Kozmu a Damiána, Kšinná

United States

* Chapel of San Cosme y Damián, Tucson, Arizona * Ss. Cosmas & Damian Church, Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania * Chapel of Saint Cosmas & Damiano; Utica, NY * Chapel of Saint Cosmas & Damian; Flushing, NY * Saints Cosmas and Damian Society, Cambridge, MA * Saint Cosmas & Damiano Society of St. Anthony & St. Agnes Church, Utica N.Y. * Saint Damian, Oak Forest, IL * Ss. Cosmas & Damian Church, Twinsburg, Ohio * Ss. Cosmas & Damian Church, Conshohocken, PA (closed 2014) * Sts. Anargyroi Greek Orthodox Church, Marlborough, MA

References

Ambrosius Francken (I) - The Charity of Saints Cosmas and Damian

External links

Catholic Encyclopedia:''Sts. Cosmas and Damia''Leslie G. Matthews, "SS. Cosmas and Damian—Patron Saints of Medicine and Pharmacy: Their Cult in England" in ''Medical History''
notes on the few English churches dedicated to these saints
''Wonderworkers and Unmercenaries Cosmas and Damian of Asia Minor''
(1 November) Eastern Orthodox

and

synaxarion Synaxarion or Synexarion (plurals Synaxaria, Synexaria; el, Συναξάριον, from συνάγειν, ''synagein'', "to bring together"; cf. etymology of ''synaxis'' and ''synagogue''; Latin: ''Synaxarium'', ''Synexarium''; cop, ⲥⲩⲛⲁ ...

''Holy Wonderworking Unmercenary Physicians Cosmas and Damian at Rome''
(1 July)
''Martyrs and Unmercenaries Cosmas Damian in Cilicia''
(17 October)
''Synaxis of the Holy Unmercenaries''
Icon

at th
Christian Iconography
web site

from the Caxton translation of the ''Golden Legend''
The Feast of Saints Cosmas and Damian, Cambridge, MADomkirche Ss. Cosmas und Damian und der heiligen Jungfrau Maria, Essen
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cosmas And Damian, Saints 3rd-century births 287 deaths 3rd-century Christian martyrs 3rd-century Roman physicians Saints duos Groups of Roman Catholic saints Syrian Christian saints Twins from ancient Rome Holy Unmercenaries Miracle workers Arabs in the Roman Empire Arab Christian saints 3rd-century Arabs Brother duos Christians martyred during the reign of Diocletian

Lives

Veneration

Eastern Christianity

Churches

Australia

Brazil

Bulgaria

Canada

Croatia

England

France

Germany

Goa

Greece

Hungary

Italy

Kenya

North Macedonia

Mexico

Paraguay

Russia

Serbia

Slovakia

United States

See also

References

Further reading

External links