The Hieromartyr Pancratius, Bishop of Taormina in Sicily (1st c.)
This saint was born in Antioch, during the time that the Lord Jesus walked as a man among men on earth. Hearing about the miracles of Christ, the parents of Pancratius desired to see the Lord, the Miracle-worker. Together with Pancratius, they traveled to Jerusalem, where they saw Jesus, heard His words, and witnessed His miracles. There, Pancratius became acquainted with the Apostle Peter. After the Ascension of the Lord, both the parents and the son were baptized in Antioch. Pancratius withdrew to a cave in Pontus, where the Apostle Peter found him. In agreement with the Apostle Paul, he appointed Pancratius as the Bish- op of Taormina in Sicily. In Taormina St. Pancratius worked many miracles, destroyed the idols, baptized the unbaptized, strengthened the baptized, and righteously governed the Church of God. A heathen commander by the name of Aquilinus heard that the entire city of Taormina had become Christian, and set out with an army in order to destroy the city. St. Pancratius calmed the fears of the faithful, and he himself went out from the city with the clergy, carrying in his hands the invincible weapon, the honorable cross. When the army approached the city, a darkness fell upon them and the soldiers were overcome with great fear. They were then seized with great confusion, and turned against one another, stabbing and slaughtering each other with their swords. Thus the God-pleaser Pancratius saved the city and his flock by the power of his prayer before the Lord. Finally, Pancratius was stoned by envious and evil heathens, and found his repose in the Lord. His holy relics lie in Rome.
