Fully aware that throughout history the lives of the Saints have always constituted the daily nourishment of all Orthodox believers, the Holy Monastery of Simonopetra on Mount Athos has decided to publish, first in French and then in English, a contemporary translation of the Synaxarion, to meet the needs of the universal Orthodox mission.

This laborious yet necessary task was taken on by the very reverend Hieromonk Fr. Makarios Simonopetritis, an expert in foreign languages and a devoted scholar of hagiological topics. From the outset, it became evident that this work could not be limited to a simple translation or adaptation of the Synaxarion of Constantinople.

In order for this hagiology to meet the demands of contemporary, especially Western readers, a revision of the texts was needed based on the most authentic hagiological sources. This time-consuming work not only allowed for the correction of certain errors but also resulted in the completion of many brief biographies, and the addition of the commemoration of Byzantine Saints who had not yet found their place in the classical Synaxaria.

To give a pan-Orthodox character to this collection, the Saints of all locally recognized Orthodox Churches were included, as well as the recently recognized Saints of all Orthodox Churches, who have notably multiplied since the fall of the communist regime.

Along the way, the translation work transformed into an original composition of a true New Synaxarion, which today seems to represent the most comprehensive and up-to-date Orthodox hagiological collection, as it includes all Saints recognized by the Church up to the year 2000.