Saint Eleftherios

icon Saint Eleutherios  icon on wood

He was born in the 2nd century AD. in GREECE. Orphaned by his father, he was raised Christian by his mother. At a young age he went with his mother to Rome. The bishop of the city, appreciating his morals, his intelligence and his warm faith, ordained him a priest. Shortly afterwards, with the joint vote of the clergy and the people, he became bishop of Illyricum (present-day Albania). The fame of the virtue of Saint Eleftherios was so great that it reached as far as Britain. Its king, Lucius, wrote a letter to Eleftherios stating that he and his people wanted to become Christians. Eleftherios immediately responded, sending two men trained in the faith, who catechized and baptized Lucius and his people as Christians. After much torture, Eleftherios was led by the pagans to the arena of Rome. But the wild animals did not touch him, so he was finally beheaded together with his mother.