Saints Cosmas and Damian celebrated on July 1

The Orthodox Church honors the Roman brothers Cosmas and Damian on 1 July each year. Known as the Anargyri, they practiced medicine without accepting payment, offering free treatment to the poor and demanding only faith in Christ. Their charitable service and reputed miracles made them revered as patron saints of physicians, nurses and all who work in health care. The brothers were eventually arrested, tortured and martyred for refusing to abandon their faith. Their feast is observed in Orthodox communities, notably in Greece and Cyprus, where they are remembered for their self‑less healing and enduring spiritual legacy.