Clement of Ohrid — family protector and healer celebrated today
The medieval saint from Ohrid is venerated as a healer, an advocate for education and a guardian of family life.
Today the Orthodox Church honors Clement of Ohrid, remembered as a healer and protector of the home.
Clement of Ohrid — a disciple of Cyril and Methodius and a leading figure among the circle of early Slavic teachers — is celebrated for his educational work, his care for the sick and his long spiritual influence on the people of Ohrid and the surrounding lands.
Life, work and relics
Born among the generation that carried the mission of Cyril and Methodius across the Balkans, Clement journeyed through Moravia and along the Danube before returning to work primarily on Macedonian territory. He is remembered together with Gorazd, Naum, Sava and Angelarij as one of the group of five companions who carried on the mission of Slavic literacy and church life.
Clement first founded a monastery in Belica, which served as his initial episcopal seat, and later settled in Ohrid where he established a monastery and a church dedicated to the Holy Panteleimon. With the help of Saint Naum he developed extensive educational activities and trained students who copied and wrote books in the Slavic script.
After a lifetime of service he fell asleep in the Lord in the year 916. His relics are kept in the church of the Holy Mother of God — Perivlepta, later renamed in his honour, and they have for centuries been regarded as a source of healing for those who approach with sincere faith.
Believers traditionally invoke Clement for healing from serious illnesses — especially for ailments of the eyes — for peace and harmony in the family, and for protection of the household. Students and teachers also ask for success in learning, concentration and wisdom.
On his feast people usually visit church to light a candle and pray before his icons, read short prayers at the family icon with a lit vigil lamp, perform acts of charity for the poor or those in need, and spend time with spiritual reading — all practices meant to invite blessing and well‑being into the home.
Photo: press material from the event
