The Martyrdom of Sts. Archippus, Philemon and Lycia the Virgin

On this day, the Sts. Archippus, Philemon and Lycia the virgin, were martyred. They believed through St. Paul when he was preaching in Phrygia.

    One day the pagans were celebrating the feast of Artamis. The saints entered their temple to see what they were doing and to see their rituals. They saw them offering sacrifices to the idol and glorifying it.

    The divine zeal inflamed their hearts, and they went out of the temple and went to the church declaring the glory of the Lord Christ and magnifying His Holy Name. When the pagans heard about what the saints had done, they informed the Governor, who attacked the church and arrested them. He tortured the saints by driving hot nails in to their sides. He threw St. Archippus into a ditch and ordered him to be stoned until he gave up his pure spirit. St. Philemon and St. Lycia were also tortured with different kinds of tortures until they gave up their spirits.