PANCRAS OF TAORMINA

Saint Pancras was a disciple of St Peter and Apostle of Sicily. He is called Pancratius after the name of the ancient Sicilian city of Taormina, where he preached faith in Christ and suffered from the pagans for his confession. The Ancient Church knew several days of his memory. The summer holiday of July 22 (9), preserved in our liturgical calendar, corresponds to the day of the martyrdom, his “birthday” as a saint in Heaven.

According to his life, the father of Saint Pancras listened to the sermon of the Apostle Peter and, like the prison guard from the Book of Acts, “was baptized with all his household” (cf. Acts 16:33). From Antioch, which after Pentecost became the real center of the apostolic mission, Pancras, on the advice of Peter and Paul, went to preach the faith in Christ to Sicily. The city of Taormina, located in the east of the island, became the place of his mission and martyrdom. His preaching led many people to believe. Like the protomartyr Stephen (cf. Acts 7:59), the saint was stoned out of malice, superstition and envy, which fill the religiosity of a person who does not live in Christ’s grace.

The Russian researcher of liturgical texts, Fr Jacob (Tsvetkov) at one time published a unique ancient troparion to Saint Pancras, which belonged to the pen of the great ascetic, theologian and hymnographer St. Theodore the Studite (759–826). The hymn dedicated to the saint says: “Shining with the glory of the words of your honeyed tongue, you have illuminated with divine rays all those who exist in the West, O Pancras. Having clearly preached the doctrine of faith about the Holy Trinity, you have driven away all the darkness of idols. You are in Heaven, o glorious hierarch, pray to the Lord for us without ceasing."

The early Christians expected the imminent Second Coming of the Lord and did not save information about themselves. Therefore, very little is known about Saint Pancras. It is important to remember that he was one of the disciples of the Apostles, thanks to whom the world was becoming Christian.