The Holy Martyr Pancratius, Bishop of Taormina
This saint was born in Antioch during
the time when the Lord Jesus Christ 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. It was in Jerusalem that
Pancratius became acquainted with the Apostle Peter. After the
Ascension of the Lord, both parents and Pancratius were baptized in
Antioch. Pancratius withdrew to a cave in Pontus where the Apostle
Peter found him and in agreement with the Apostle Paul he was
appointed as the Bishop of Taormina in Sicily. In Taormina, St.
Pancratius worked many miracles, destroyed the idols, baptized the
unbaptized, strengthened the baptized and governed well the Church of
God. A heathen commander by the name of Aquilinus heard that the
entire city of Taormina became Christian and set out with an entire
army against this city in order to destroy it. St. Pancratius
encouraged the faithful not to be afraid and he, alone, with the
clergy went outside the city carrying in his hands the invincible
weapon, the Honorable Cross. When the army approached the city,
darkness befell them and the soldiers were overcome with great fear.
A great confusion then began among them and the attackers turned
against one another and pierced and slaughtered each other with their
swords. Thus Pancratius, the chosen one of God, saved the city and
his flock by the power of his prayer before the Lord. In the end,
Pancratius was stoned to death by envious and evil heathens and found
rest in the Lord. His holy relics repose in Rome.
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