- THE HOLY APOSTLE ANDRONICUS
Andronicus was one of the Seventy Apostles. He was a kinsman of St. Paul, as Paul himself writes: “Greet Andronicus and Junia, my relatives and my fellow prisoners; they are prominent among the apostles and they were in Christ before me” (Romans 16:7). Paul also mentions St. Junia, assistant of Andronicus. Andronicus was installed as bishop in Pannonia, but did not remain in one place, rather preached the Gospel throughout Pannonia. With St. Junia, he succeeded in converting many to Christ and destroyed many idolatrous temples. They both possessed the power of Grace to work miracles through which they drove out demons from men and healed every type of disease and illness. They both suffered for Christ and thus received the two-fold wreath: the apostolic wreath and the martyr’s wreath. Their holy relics were discovered in the regions of Eugenius (February 22).
- THE HOLY MARTYR SOLOCHON
Solochon was an Egyptian by birth and a Roman soldier under Commander Campanus during the reign of the nefarious Emperor Maximian. When the directive from the emperor was handed down that all the soldiers must offer up sacrifices to the idols, Solochon declared himself a Christian. Two of his companions also declared themselves Christians: Pamphamir and Pamphylon. The commander ordered that they be flogged and cruelly tortured from which Saints Pamphamir and Pamphylon died. Solochon remained alive and was subjected to new tortures. The commander ordered the soldiers to open his mouth with a sword and to pour the sacrifices of the idols into his mouth. The martyr broke the iron sword with his teeth and did not consume the foul sacrifice of the idols. Finally, they pierced a quill through both ears and left him to die. The Christians removed the martyr and brought him to the home of a widow where he gradually, by food and drink, became a little stronger and, again, continued to counsel the faithful to be persistent in their faith and in their sufferings for the Faith. Following that, he gave thanks to God, completed his earthly life and presented himself to the Lord in the kingdom of heaven in the year 298 A.D.
- SAINT STEPHEN, PATRIARCH OF CONSTANTINOPLE
Stephen was the son of Emperor Basil the Macedonian and brother of Emperor Leo the Wise. He succeeded to the patriarchal throne after Photius and governed the Church of God from 889-893 A.D. He died peacefully and presented himself to the Lord Whom he greatly loved.