1 March 2025 (MIA)

Macedonian Orthodox Church Calendar

SS. Pamphilus, Porphirius and 12 other Martyrs

The first of these, Pamphilus, was priest in the church at Caesarea in Palestine; a learned and devout man, he corrected the mistakes of various copiers in the text of the New Testament. The second was a deacon, Valentine, old in years and white with wisdom. He was a great expert in the Holy Scriptures, knowing them by heart. The third was Paul, a respected and eminent man, who had on a previous occasion been cast into the fire for the sake of Christ. With them were five Egyptians, brothers both in blood and soul, who were returning to their native land from serving a sentence in the mines of Cilicia. As they reached the gate of the town of Caesarea they said that they were Christians, and were therefore brought to trial. They were all beheaded, and a young man called Porphyrius, who had searched for their bodies to give them burial, suffered soon afterwards. Him they burned. An officer, Seleucus, who had come up to the martyrs and embraced them before the sword descended on their heads, was also burned, and an old man, Theodulus, a servant of the Roman judge, who had embraced one of the martyrs while they were under escort. Lastly Julian, who had kissed the dead bodies of the martyrs and honoured them, followed them in death. So they exchanged the small for the great, the tawdry for the precious and death for immortality, and went to the Lord in 308.

Catholic Calendar

St. Albinus

Bishop and miracle worker, also known as Aubin. As a youngster he entered the monastery at Tincilloc, near his hometown of Vannes, in Brittany. When he was thirty-five, he became an abbot, and was named the bishop of Angers in 529. Albinus was a noted miracle worker during his lifetime and his grave became a popular pilgrimage destination because of the miracles performed there. He showed great generosity to the sick and poor. He ransomed slaves whenever possible and cared for them.