Hieromartyr Athenogenes, Bishop of Sebastia in Armenia

Life

He lived in a monastery near the city with ten of his disciples. In the time of Diocletian, a certain fierce persecutor of Christians, Philomarchus, came to Sebastia. He seized and slew many Christians in the city. When he saw Athenogenes and his disciples, he told the elder to offer sacrifice to the idols, lest he perish as the other Christians had perished. Athenogenes answered him: "O tormentor, those whom thou callest perished have not perished but are in heaven and rejoice with the angels." A touching scene occurred when a doe, which the merciful Athenogenes had fed with his own hand, came running to him and, seeing him in distress, shed tears. Even the wild beasts of the mountains had more compassion for the martyrs of Christ than did the pagans! After terrible tortures, during which an angel of God eased the suffering of the martyrs, all were beheaded by the sword — first the priests and co-laborers of Athenogenes, and then Athenogenes himself — and they departed to their heavenly homeland, in the year 311.

From the Hymn of Praise

The martyr Julia,For her Christ crucified,Invokes the power of Christ,The power of the Precious Cross.