Saint Pagratios Hieromartyr, bishop of Tauromenia
Date of celebration: 07/09
The holy hieromartyr Pagratios came from Antioch. He was taught faith in Christ by the apostle Peter and ordained by the same bishop of Tauromeni.
Pangratius, after his ordination, had to go to his episcopal province, Tauromenio in Sicily. Therefore, according to divine economy, he met two sailors, Romulus and Lycaonides. These were well-intentioned people and as soon as they heard from the Saint about Christ, they embraced the Christian religion. And these sailors were from Sicily and were going to return there with their ships. So Pancratius boarded one of them and went to Sicily.
When the Saint arrived there, he destroyed the statues and temples of Falcon, Lysson and the other demons. He also managed to attract the local ruler Boniface to the faith of Christ. And not only that, but he also made him build a church for the needs of the Christians in the area.
Saint Pangratios was also gifted by God with the gift of miracles. Thus, he healed every disease, as a result of which many people came to the faith of Christ every day. These people were not baptized by the miraculous Saint himself and in this way, they officially entered the bosom of the Church.
The holy hieromartyr Pangratios was killed with stones and knives by followers of the sect of Montanism, who took advantage of the absence of the ruler Boniface, who separately honored and protected the Saint.