THE PRIESTLY

May 27

From the Prologue

Therapontus converted many Hellenes [Greeks] to the Faith of Christ and for that he was cruelly tortured by the pagans through starvation, imprisonment and flogging. Naked, they placed him on the ground and tied him to four dry stumps and whipped him unmercifully until his flesh was ripped from his bones. But the martyr remained alive and those four stumps turned green and grew into tall trees from which many who were ill received healing. Finally, St. Therapontus was slaughtered like a lamb during the reign of Valerian about 259 A.D. and with his soul took up habitation in the kingdom to behold the glory of God in eternity. He suffered honorably in the year 259 A.D.