Nonna of Nazianzus

Saint Nonna, the mother of Saint Gregory the Theologian, was the daughter of Christians Philotas and Gorgonia. She married Gregory of Arianz, a pagan, and prayed much for his conversion to Christianity. By the prayers of Nonna, Gregory had a vision in a dream that prompted him to turn to God and become a bishop. Nonna was ordained as a deaconess and actively engaged in charity, considering it true wealth to spend her possessions on God and the needy. She combined frugality and piety, always remembering to pray. In her last years, Nonna endured many sorrows, including the death of her son and daughter, but remained courageous. She died on August 5, 374, in the church, having hardly left it after the death of her husband.