Hieromartyr Apollinaris

Life

A disciple of the Apostle Peter, by origin from the city of Antioch. St. Peter took him along from Antioch to Rome, and in Rome ordained him bishop of the city of Ravenna. Having come to Ravenna, Apollinaris entered the home of a certain soldier Irenaeus, whose son he healed of blindness, and through this converted the entire household to the faith of Christ. In the same manner he healed the wife of the military commander of Ravenna of a certain grievous ailment, and baptized his whole household as well. At the commander's wish, Apollinaris remained in his home as a resident. There he also built a small house church. And he dwelt in that home for twelve years, preaching the Gospel and baptizing the unbelievers. He was cruelly tortured on many occasions by the pagan authorities, but the almighty right hand of God sustained and saved him. At last he was condemned to exile in Illyricum. But the ship on which they were traveling was wrecked by a storm and sank, and of all the travelers only St. Apollinaris was saved, along with two soldiers and three of his clerics. The soldiers, having been miraculously saved in this way, believed in the power of the God of Apollinaris and were baptized. Then Apollinaris set out to preach the Gospel throughout the entire Balkans, going as far south as the Danube. After that he went to Thrace, where likewise under great pressure he spread the Gospel of the Lord. After three years of labor in the Balkans he was driven back to Italy. He came to Ravenna, where all the faithful rejoiced exceedingly at his return. When the pagan authorities heard of this, they wrote to Emperor Vespasian about Apollinaris as a sorcerer, and asked him whether they should put him to death as an enemy of their gods. To this the emperor replied that he should not be killed, but only that they should demand that he offer sacrifice to the gods, or else be expelled from the city, for, he said, "It is not fitting that we take vengeance on someone for the gods, for they themselves can avenge themselves upon their enemies, if they become wrathful." Yet even despite this imperial decree, the pagans attacked Apollinaris and stabbed him with knives. From severe wounds this servant of God breathed his last and departed to the Kingdom of God. The relics of St. Apollinaris repose in Ravenna, in the church bearing his name.