The Hieromartyr Bishop Valentine and his three disciples,
Proculus, Ephebus and Apollonius, and the righteous Abundius lived
during the third century. Saint Valentine was a bishop in Umbria
(Italy), in the city of Interamna. He received from God the gift of
healing various maladies.
At this time three pagan youths,
Proculus, Ephebus and Apollonius, came from Athens to Rome to study.They
found a tutor named Craton, and lived in his home. Craton’s son
Cherimon fell grievously ill, and his spine was so contorted that his
head was bent down to his knees. Craton asked Bishop Valentine to help
his sick son.
The holy bishop went into the sick child’s room and
prayed fervently all night. When day came, the happy parents saw their
son had been healed. They believed in Christ and were baptized with all
their household.
Craton’s students, Proculus, Ephebus and
Apollonius were also baptized and became devoted disciples of Saint
Valentine. The bishop’s fame quickly spread, and many were converted to
Christ. Among them was the city prefect’s son, Abundius, who openly
confessed himself a Christian. This was a bold thing to do, since
paganism prevailed in the world, and Christianity was persecuted.
The
wrath of the prefect and other city leaders fell upon Bishop Valentine,
the teacher of the youths. They demanded that he renounce Christ and
worship the idols.
After much torture they threw him into prison,
where his followers visited him. Learning of this, the prefect gave
orders to take Valentine out of the prison and behead him. Saint
Valentine’s students Proculus, Ephebus, and Apollonius took the body of
their teacher and carried it to the city of Interamnum, where they
buried it.
Both believers and pagans were drawn to them, and they
converted many idolaters to the true Faith. When the authorities heard
about this, they arrested the youths and threw them in prison. Fearing
that people might break the sufferers out of prison, the executioners
beheaded them by night.
Abundius, learning that his friends had
been locked in prison, hastened to see them, but found that they had
already been executed. He buried their bodies near the grave of holy
Bishop Valentine.
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