30 July / 12 August

The Holy Apostles Silas, Silvanus, Crescens, Epaenetus and Andronicus

These are all among the Seventy. St Silas was sent from Jerusalem to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, to settle a quarrel among the faithful concerning circumcision: namely, whether or not it was necessary to circumcise pagans who had embraced Christianity (Acts 15:22). After that, Silas travelled with Paul around Asia and Macedonia, and was installed as Bishop of Corinth, where he died peacefully. Silvanus helped the two greatest apostles (I Pet. 5:12; II Cor. 1:19) . As bishop in Salonica, he laboured much and suffered much, until he exchanged the earthly life for the heavenly. Crescens was a fellow-worker with the Apostle Paul (II Tim. 4:10), and then bishop in Galatia and a missionary in Gaul, where he died a martyr for Christ under Trajan. St Epaenetus is mentioned by the Apostle Paul (Rom. 16:5), and became Bishop of Carthage. Andronicus(Rom. 16:7), Bishop of Pannonia, is also commemorated separately on May 17th.

On the same day: The Hieromartyr Valentine; The Hieromartyr Polychronius, Bishop of Babylon; St John the Soldier; Our Holy Mother Angelina; Birthday of the New Martyr Crown Prince Alexis