27 May / 9 June

The Hieromartyr Therapon, Bishop of Sardis

He brought many Greeks to the Christian faith and was cruelly persecuted by the pagans, being starved, imprisoned and flogged. They stripped him and threw him to the ground, bound him to four posts and beat him mercilessly, until they had stripped the flesh from his bones. However, the martyr still remained alive and the four dry posts became green and grew into tall trees from which many of the sick received healing. Finally St Therapon was slain like a lamb and entered into the Kingdom, to behold the glory of God in eternity. He suffered with honour in the time of Valerian, m about 259.

St. Bede the Venerable - 673-735

Born in Wearmouth in the north of England, as a child he entered the monastery of Sts Peter and Paul at Wearmouth-Jarrow, and spent his whole life there, 'always praying, always writing, always reading, always teaching'. He wrote many commentaries on the Scriptures. His work The History of the English Church and People earned him the title of the Father of English History. He reposed on Ascension Eve and his dying words were Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

On the same day: The Holy Martyrs Theodora and Didymus; St David of Garesjei