Monday, February 2, 2015


Sts. Daniel ,Elias, Jeremy, Isaias and Samuel
Feast day: February 16

 Born in Egypt; died at Caesarea Maritima in 309. He and four companions, Elias, Isaias, Jeremy and Samuel were Egyptians.

 who visited Christians condemned to work in the mines of Cilicia during Maximus persecution, to comfort them. Apprehended at the gates of Caesarea, Palestine, they were brought before the governor, Firmilian and accused of being Christians. They were all tortured and then beheaded

    The church historian Eusebius, who was living in Caesarea at the time, recorded the acta of these saints. Out of Christian kindness these five Egyptians visited and brought succor to some of their brethren who were condemned to work in the mines of Cilicia during the reign of Galerius Maximinus. On their return home Elias and his four companions were stopped at the gates of Caesarea, Palestine, and questioned. They gave as their names those of the prophets and their city as Jerusalem (meaning the heavenly city). They were brought before the governor, Firmilian, in an effort to extract more precise information. They remained mute, were accused of being Christian, tortured, then beheaded.

 When Porphyry, a youthful servant of Saint Pamphilus, demanded that the bodies be buried, he was tortured by being flayed alive and then burned to death when it was found he was a Christian. Porphyry lay in the midst of the flames for a considerable time, singing the praises of God, and invoking the name of Jesus; till at length, quite broiled by the fire, he consummated a slow, but glorious martyrdom. Seleucus witnessed his death and applauded his constancy in the face of his terrible death; whereupon he was arrested by the soldiers involved in the execution, brought before the governor, and was beheaded at Firmilian's order .