Featured Saint

St Abskharion:

He was one of the soldiers of Arianus, governor of Ansena (Antinoe). When the Edict of Diocletian to worship the idols was issued, he refused to worship the idols. They then seized him and shut him up in the prison. The Governor began torturing him with different kinds of tortures, but the Lord comforted him, strengthened him, and healed his wounds. The Governor brought a sorcerer, whose name was Alexander. He gave the Saint some deadly poison, saying; “O master of the powers of darkness, manifest in this Christian your powers.” The Saint took the poison, made the sign of the cross over it, and drank it, but no harm came upon him. The sorcerer marveled, and he believed in the God of St. Abaskhiroun. The Governor enraged cut off the head of the sorcerer. He then tortured St. Abaskhiroun extensively and later ordered him to cut off his head, and he received the crown of martyrdom.

In his hometown, the believers had a tradition where they celebrated group weddings for their sons and daughters. While they were together celebrating their weddings in St. Abaskhiron’s Church in Qallin, some evildoers surrounded the church planning to kill everyone inside. The congregation asked for the intercession of St. Abaskhiron, who miraculously transported the entire church with its people, a tree, and the well to another village called Biho.