Holy Martyr Polychronius

Life

A native of the Eparchy of Agathonike, of peasant parents. As a young man he labored as a hired worker in the vineyard of a certain Constantinopolitan. But even as a hired laborer Polychronius gave himself over to the ascetic struggle of fasting and prayer day and night. Seeing his life, angelic in purity and temperance, his master marveled and gave him much more money than he had earned. And Saint Polychronius took the money and built a church. At the time of the Council of Nicaea, Polychronius was a reader; and on that occasion he showed such zeal in defending Orthodoxy before the Arians that they ordained him a priest. Later these malicious heretics, out of revenge, attacked Saint Polychronius in the church itself and hacked him to pieces. Thus suffered this great defender of the truth and purity of Orthodoxy, and he received a crown of glory from his most glorious Lord.