Saint Porphyrios, Bishop of Gaza
By Aristeidis G. Theodoropoulos, Educator
By Aristeidis G. Theodoropoulos, Educator
The “initiate of the Lord and filled with divine zeal,” the God-appointed, compassion-loving and wonderworking Hierarch of Gaza.
Among the God-bearing hierarchs who shone in a manner worthy of God during the 4th–5th centuries A.D., a prominent place is held by the loving and wonderworking shepherd of the people of Gaza, Saint Porphyrios, commemorated by our Orthodox Church on February 26.
This venerable and illustrious native of Thessaloniki is hymned, among other titles, as “an imitator and equal of the Apostles,” as one “who practiced virtue with longing and despised gold for Christ’s sake,” and as “the bulwark of the orthodox dogmas and the downfall of idol-worshippers.”
This most wise hierarch of Christ distinguished himself through simplicity, humility, meekness, freedom from resentment, chastity, compassion, tenderness of heart, and generosity in almsgiving, as well as through his ability to interpret difficult passages of Holy Scripture.
At the same time, as a most radiant luminary of the Church, he combated and abolished the delusion of idolatry, being revealed as “a most powerful persecutor of the cacodox” and “a fierce and invincible destroyer of demons.”
The humble and God-appointed hierarch of Gaza, Saint Porphyrios — who “lived in brotherly love and philanthropy and wisely guided his rational flock toward salvation” — was born around 347–348 in Thessaloniki, the beautiful city of the Thermaic Gulf, where in 303 the great martyr of Christ and patron of the city, Saint Demetrios the Myrrhgusher, suffered martyrdom.
He was born into a noble and wealthy family. Yet from an early age he was seized by divine love, which moved him to abandon not only his homeland but also the wealth and comforts he enjoyed. Thus he departed from Thessaloniki and withdrew to Egypt, the pre-eminent land of monastic withdrawal.
There he settled in the Sketis desert, and after receiving the angelic monastic habit, he lived for five continuous years under harsh conditions together with renowned Fathers who shone during that period, imitating their strict ascetic life.
Seeking thereafter the perfection of ascetic life in Christ, he departed for Palestine, where he dwelt in a cave in the desert of the Jordan for another five years (377–382), subjecting himself to many trials. However, severe drought in the region, combined with the harsh climate, seriously affected his health.
He fell gravely ill and was afflicted with cirrhosis of the liver accompanied by continual fever. Placing his hope entirely in God, he went to Jerusalem, where, bent over his staff, he visited with deep reverence the holy shrines of the Holy Places.
There he met and formed a close friendship with Mark, his future biographer, who practiced the art of calligraphy. Mark was greatly impressed and filled with admiration by the Saint’s disregard for his severe illness; having entrusted his hope to the All-merciful God, Porphyrios refused every form of assistance when visiting the all-holy Church of the Resurrection and the other sacred shrines.
What troubled him greatly, however, was that his inheritance had not yet been sold and distributed to the poor. Therefore he asked Mark to travel to Thessaloniki in order to divide the paternal estate together with the Saint’s brothers.
Upon arriving in the Saint’s homeland and carrying written authorization, Mark sold all the landed property to his brothers and took with him garments, silver objects, and gold coins.
When Mark returned to Jerusalem, he found the virtuous and philanthropic Porphyrios completely healthy and fully healed of his illness. As the Saint recounted, during an all-night vigil, when unbearable pain seized his liver, he saw in a vision the Good Thief, descending from the Cross at the command of Christ the Savior and leading him to the Crucified Lord, who then entrusted to him the Honorable Wood to guard. When he recovered from this ecstatic experience, his health had been entirely restored.
After this wondrous revelation, Mark became even more closely attached to the Saint, who was distinguished by meekness, compassion, simplicity, humility, and freedom from resentment, as well as by truthfulness and a special gift for interpreting even the most difficult passages of Holy Scripture.
The money brought by Mark from his inheritance was distributed by the Saint to the poor of Jerusalem and to the monasteries of Egypt, while most of the silver objects were melted down and fashioned into sacred vessels.
In order to secure his daily necessities, he practiced the trade of leather-working, faithfully following the example of the Apostle Paul, who labored with his own hands, teaching: “Work with your own hands… that you may have need of nothing” (1 Thess. 4:11–12).
Meanwhile, when Praulius, Bishop of Jerusalem, learned of his virtuous life and spiritual radiance, he ordained him — against his will — a presbyter at the age of forty-five. He also entrusted to him the guardianship of the Honorable Cross, thereby confirming the vision in which the Lord had said to him: “Take this Wood and guard it.”
Holding thus the exalted office of guardian of the Cross and living in strict ascetic discipline, he devoted himself completely to priestly ministry.
After three years, in 395, the Bishop of Gaza, Aeneias, fell asleep in the Lord, and the small Christian community began deliberating concerning his successor. Disputes and great unrest arose regarding the choice.
A delegation of clergy and laity was therefore sent to John, Bishop of Caesarea, to whom the Lord revealed Porphyrios as the most suitable candidate. A letter was then sent to Bishop Praulius of Jerusalem requesting that the presbyter Porphyrios interpret a difficult passage of Scripture.
Receiving the letter, the humble and compassionate Porphyrios understood the divine will, since the previous night he had seen the Lord telling him that the trust entrusted to him must now be restored. He then invited Mark to venerate the Holy Places and the Honorable Cross before departing.
Upon arriving in Caesarea, news of their arrival spread quickly. Bishop John invited Porphyrios to supper before the Sunday vigil. The following morning, despite his tears and protests — for he considered himself unworthy — he was ordained Bishop of Gaza.
In order to secure his daily necessities, he practiced the trade of leather-working, faithfully following the example of the Apostle Paul, who labored with his own hands, teaching: “Work with your own hands… that you may have need of nothing” (1 Thess. 4:11–12).
Meanwhile, when Praulius, Bishop of Jerusalem, learned of his virtuous life and spiritual radiance, he ordained him — against his will — a presbyter at the age of forty-five. He also entrusted to him the guardianship of the Honorable Cross, thereby confirming the vision in which the Lord had said to him: “Take this Wood and guard it.”
Holding thus the exalted office of guardian of the Cross and living in strict ascetic discipline, he devoted himself completely to priestly ministry.
After three years, in 395, the Bishop of Gaza, Aeneias, fell asleep in the Lord, and the small Christian community began deliberating concerning his successor. Disputes and great unrest arose regarding the choice.
A delegation of clergy and laity was therefore sent to John, Bishop of Caesarea, to whom the Lord revealed Porphyrios as the most suitable candidate. A letter was then sent to Bishop Praulius of Jerusalem requesting that the presbyter Porphyrios interpret a difficult passage of Scripture.
Receiving the letter, the humble and compassionate Porphyrios understood the divine will, since the previous night he had seen the Lord telling him that the trust entrusted to him must now be restored. He then invited Mark to venerate the Holy Places and the Honorable Cross before departing.
Upon arriving in Caesarea, news of their arrival spread quickly. Bishop John invited Porphyrios to supper before the Sunday vigil. The following morning, despite his tears and protests — for he considered himself unworthy — he was ordained Bishop of Gaza.
After a day’s journey and an overnight stay in Diospolis, he reached Gaza amid many hardships. Fanatical pagans inhabited the region and attempted to prevent his entrance by scattering burning refuse and thorns in the streets, producing suffocating smoke and foul odor.
The wise and meek shepherd did not complain but proceeded to the episcopal residence to begin his ministry among the few Christians.
At that time the city suffered severe drought, which the pagans attributed to his arrival. Despite sacrifices offered in the Marneion, the temple of the god Marnas — identified with Zeus — no rain fell, and famine threatened the inhabitants.
The God-bearing bishop proclaimed a fast and celebrated an all-night vigil. The next morning he led a procession first to the ancient church built by Bishop Asclepas and then to the martyrion of Saint Timothy, who had suffered martyrdom in Gaza together with Agapios and Thekla during the persecution of Diocletian in 304.
After prayers and kneelings were offered, God ended the drought, repeating the miracle of the Prophet Elijah and sending abundant rain like hail. Witnessing this, some pagans converted, crying out:
“Christ is the only God. He alone has conquered.”
Yet the fanatical pagans continued persecutions against the Saint and his small flock.
A devout servant of the Saint, Barochas, whom Porphyrios had sheltered and healed, was brutally beaten by a pagan debtor and left half-dead in a deserted place. The deacon Cornelius later found and carried him toward the city. Pagans attacked them, dragging Barochas by the foot.
Learning of this, the blessed bishop hastened to them; Barochas was taken to the church and a vigil was served for his healing. God restored him, and when insults were hurled against the Saint, Barochas rose and struck the attackers with a stick, though the bishop exhorted restraint.
Thereafter the pagan authorities fled in fear. Both Barochas and Mark were later ordained deacons by the compassionate hierarch.
Seeing continued violence against Christians, Saint Porphyrios sent Mark to Constantinople to petition Emperor Arcadius, with the mediation of the Holy Patriarch John Chrysostom, for the destruction of Gaza’s pagan temples, especially the Marneion.
Through letters and intercession, the emperor issued a decree ordering the closure of all pagan temples. All were shut except the Marneion, which continued functioning.
At that time a prominent pregnant woman named Ailias was in mortal danger during childbirth. Pagan relatives offered sacrifices to their gods, while a pious Christian woman prayed tearfully for her salvation.
Seeing this woman praying in church, Saint Porphyrios instructed her to tell the family that a great physician was present in the city — provided they would remain faithful to Him and not despise Him.
He then instructed her to proclaim publicly to the suffering woman:
“Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, will heal you; and if you believe in Him, you shall live.”
The faithful woman, following the exhortation of the Saint, informed the relatives of Ailias. They then carried out everything that the Hierarch of Christ had instructed. And as soon as the name of the Lord was proclaimed as the only true God, the pregnant woman immediately gave birth normally to the child.
This wondrous event caused those present to cry aloud:
“Great is the God of the Christians!”
Afterward, all received Holy Baptism from the God-bearing Bishop of Christ, while the infant was given the name Porphyrios.
However, the increase in the number of Christians enraged the fanatical idolaters, who continued their insults and injustices against the Christian population of the city.
For this reason, the compassionate and meek Bishop of Gaza was compelled to go to Caesarea, where he begged Bishop John to accept his resignation. John, however, urged him to show patience and remain steadfast in his episcopal ministry.
Saint Porphyrios then proposed that they travel together to Constantinople in order to request from the emperor the destruction of the pagan temples. On their journey to the Imperial City they stopped at Rhodes, where they sought the virtuous and wise monk Prokopios, who possessed the gift of foresight.
When they visited him in his hermitage, he encouraged and spiritually strengthened them, assuring them that God would not abandon them. He foretold that Saint John Chrysostom would send them to Empress Eudoxia through her chamberlain named Amantios, and that the empress would receive them with great joy — a joy that would increase when they announced that the child she would bear would be a son. He further assured them that their request would meet with success.
Upon arriving in Constantinople, they met Saint John Chrysostom and informed him of the purpose of their visit. He explained that he could not personally present their petition to the emperor, since Empress Eudoxia had extended her displeasure toward him also to the emperor. Nevertheless, he promised to entrust their case to the chamberlain Amantios, which indeed took place.
This pious official undertook to intercede with the powerful empress, who agreed to receive them the following day. Trusting in God, the two bishops — Porphyrios of Gaza and John of Caesarea — were brought before Eudoxia, who welcomed them kindly and asked them to pray that she might give birth safely.
The empress listened attentively to the difficult and dangerous situation endured by the Christians of Gaza because of pagan hostility and consented to speak to the emperor so that Christianity in the region might be preserved.
When the emperor was informed of the request to destroy the pagan temples of Gaza, however, he reacted with displeasure, arguing that such action would cause economic loss, since the pagans might abandon the city and cease contributing to public revenues.
The empress conveyed this unfavorable response to the bishops but assured them that, with God’s help, their request would ultimately succeed. Her joy became indescribable when the wise Bishop of Gaza foretold the birth of her son. She therefore promised that if this prophecy were fulfilled, she would grant all their petitions and would herself undertake the construction of a great Christian church in the center of Gaza.
A few days later Empress Eudoxia gave birth to a son, who received the name Theodosios, later Emperor (408–450). The two bishops blessed both mother and child. The empress then asked them to compose a petition listing all their requests and to present it to the one holding the infant on the day of his baptism.
Thus, when the joyous and blessed day of the baptism of the future Emperor Theodosios arrived — and the city had been magnificently adorned for the celebration — the petition was presented to Emperor Arcadius. After it was read, he finally granted approval for all their requests.
On the basis of this petition an imperial decree was drafted and signed, entrusted for execution to a devout imperial official named Kynegios.
After remaining in Constantinople for the holy days of Pascha and Bright Week, the bishops were dismissed with honor by the emperor and empress, who bestowed upon them rich gifts and large sums of money.
During their return journey they again passed through Rhodes and asked the ship’s captain to allow them to remain briefly so they might once more visit the clairvoyant ascetic Prokopios. The captain refused, claiming the winds were favorable for sailing.
They therefore departed, but after two days a violent storm arose and the sea became exceedingly rough. During this tempest Saint Porphyrios saw in a dream the ascetic Prokopios, who instructed him that the captain must be catechized in the Orthodox faith, for he belonged to the Arian heresy.
They persuaded him to renounce Arianism for the salvation both of himself and of the ship. After accepting the Christian truth and partaking of the Holy Mysteries, the sea immediately grew calm, and after four days they reached the harbor of Gaza known as Maiouma.
There the Christians welcomed the bishops with hymns. As the faithful entered Gaza, they passed through the place called Stavrodromi, where stood a statue of Aphrodite, especially venerated by women who believed it revealed their future husbands — though in reality this was demonic deception.
When the Christians arrived bearing the Honorable Cross, the idol suddenly shattered, and fragments gravely wounded two pagans. This miracle deeply shook many persecutors of Christianity, who afterward joined the flock of Christ.
A few days later the imperial magistrate Kynegios arrived with an armed escort and read the imperial decree ordering the destruction by fire of the eight pagan temples. Within ten days all were destroyed except the renowned Marneion, considered the most glorious sanctuary in the pagan world.
Seeking guidance for its destruction, Saint Porphyrios proclaimed fasting and prayer. During a liturgical assembly, a seven-year-old child suddenly cried out in Syriac that the inner sanctuary must be burned from its foundations because human sacrifices had been performed there, and afterward a Christian church should be built. The child declared that these words were spoken not by himself but by Christ dwelling within him.
Remarkably, both the mother and the child later confirmed this, the child repeating the message again — this time in Greek, though neither he nor his mother knew the language.
The Saint was astonished. When he intended to give three coins to the child’s mother, the child urged her not to accept them, saying that the gift of God cannot be exchanged for money.
The following day the Marneion was burned. Pagan property was confiscated, and an official opposing the destruction was instantly killed when a burning beam fell upon him.
Afterward many pagans embraced Christianity and, having been instructed by Saint Porphyrios, received Holy Baptism.
The wise and meek shepherd did not complain but proceeded to the episcopal residence to begin his ministry among the few Christians.
At that time the city suffered severe drought, which the pagans attributed to his arrival. Despite sacrifices offered in the Marneion, the temple of the god Marnas — identified with Zeus — no rain fell, and famine threatened the inhabitants.
The God-bearing bishop proclaimed a fast and celebrated an all-night vigil. The next morning he led a procession first to the ancient church built by Bishop Asclepas and then to the martyrion of Saint Timothy, who had suffered martyrdom in Gaza together with Agapios and Thekla during the persecution of Diocletian in 304.
After prayers and kneelings were offered, God ended the drought, repeating the miracle of the Prophet Elijah and sending abundant rain like hail. Witnessing this, some pagans converted, crying out:
“Christ is the only God. He alone has conquered.”
Yet the fanatical pagans continued persecutions against the Saint and his small flock.
A devout servant of the Saint, Barochas, whom Porphyrios had sheltered and healed, was brutally beaten by a pagan debtor and left half-dead in a deserted place. The deacon Cornelius later found and carried him toward the city. Pagans attacked them, dragging Barochas by the foot.
Learning of this, the blessed bishop hastened to them; Barochas was taken to the church and a vigil was served for his healing. God restored him, and when insults were hurled against the Saint, Barochas rose and struck the attackers with a stick, though the bishop exhorted restraint.
Thereafter the pagan authorities fled in fear. Both Barochas and Mark were later ordained deacons by the compassionate hierarch.
Seeing continued violence against Christians, Saint Porphyrios sent Mark to Constantinople to petition Emperor Arcadius, with the mediation of the Holy Patriarch John Chrysostom, for the destruction of Gaza’s pagan temples, especially the Marneion.
Through letters and intercession, the emperor issued a decree ordering the closure of all pagan temples. All were shut except the Marneion, which continued functioning.
At that time a prominent pregnant woman named Ailias was in mortal danger during childbirth. Pagan relatives offered sacrifices to their gods, while a pious Christian woman prayed tearfully for her salvation.
Seeing this woman praying in church, Saint Porphyrios instructed her to tell the family that a great physician was present in the city — provided they would remain faithful to Him and not despise Him.
He then instructed her to proclaim publicly to the suffering woman:
“Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, will heal you; and if you believe in Him, you shall live.”
The faithful woman, following the exhortation of the Saint, informed the relatives of Ailias. They then carried out everything that the Hierarch of Christ had instructed. And as soon as the name of the Lord was proclaimed as the only true God, the pregnant woman immediately gave birth normally to the child.
This wondrous event caused those present to cry aloud:
“Great is the God of the Christians!”
Afterward, all received Holy Baptism from the God-bearing Bishop of Christ, while the infant was given the name Porphyrios.
However, the increase in the number of Christians enraged the fanatical idolaters, who continued their insults and injustices against the Christian population of the city.
For this reason, the compassionate and meek Bishop of Gaza was compelled to go to Caesarea, where he begged Bishop John to accept his resignation. John, however, urged him to show patience and remain steadfast in his episcopal ministry.
Saint Porphyrios then proposed that they travel together to Constantinople in order to request from the emperor the destruction of the pagan temples. On their journey to the Imperial City they stopped at Rhodes, where they sought the virtuous and wise monk Prokopios, who possessed the gift of foresight.
When they visited him in his hermitage, he encouraged and spiritually strengthened them, assuring them that God would not abandon them. He foretold that Saint John Chrysostom would send them to Empress Eudoxia through her chamberlain named Amantios, and that the empress would receive them with great joy — a joy that would increase when they announced that the child she would bear would be a son. He further assured them that their request would meet with success.
Upon arriving in Constantinople, they met Saint John Chrysostom and informed him of the purpose of their visit. He explained that he could not personally present their petition to the emperor, since Empress Eudoxia had extended her displeasure toward him also to the emperor. Nevertheless, he promised to entrust their case to the chamberlain Amantios, which indeed took place.
This pious official undertook to intercede with the powerful empress, who agreed to receive them the following day. Trusting in God, the two bishops — Porphyrios of Gaza and John of Caesarea — were brought before Eudoxia, who welcomed them kindly and asked them to pray that she might give birth safely.
The empress listened attentively to the difficult and dangerous situation endured by the Christians of Gaza because of pagan hostility and consented to speak to the emperor so that Christianity in the region might be preserved.
When the emperor was informed of the request to destroy the pagan temples of Gaza, however, he reacted with displeasure, arguing that such action would cause economic loss, since the pagans might abandon the city and cease contributing to public revenues.
The empress conveyed this unfavorable response to the bishops but assured them that, with God’s help, their request would ultimately succeed. Her joy became indescribable when the wise Bishop of Gaza foretold the birth of her son. She therefore promised that if this prophecy were fulfilled, she would grant all their petitions and would herself undertake the construction of a great Christian church in the center of Gaza.
A few days later Empress Eudoxia gave birth to a son, who received the name Theodosios, later Emperor (408–450). The two bishops blessed both mother and child. The empress then asked them to compose a petition listing all their requests and to present it to the one holding the infant on the day of his baptism.
Thus, when the joyous and blessed day of the baptism of the future Emperor Theodosios arrived — and the city had been magnificently adorned for the celebration — the petition was presented to Emperor Arcadius. After it was read, he finally granted approval for all their requests.
On the basis of this petition an imperial decree was drafted and signed, entrusted for execution to a devout imperial official named Kynegios.
After remaining in Constantinople for the holy days of Pascha and Bright Week, the bishops were dismissed with honor by the emperor and empress, who bestowed upon them rich gifts and large sums of money.
During their return journey they again passed through Rhodes and asked the ship’s captain to allow them to remain briefly so they might once more visit the clairvoyant ascetic Prokopios. The captain refused, claiming the winds were favorable for sailing.
They therefore departed, but after two days a violent storm arose and the sea became exceedingly rough. During this tempest Saint Porphyrios saw in a dream the ascetic Prokopios, who instructed him that the captain must be catechized in the Orthodox faith, for he belonged to the Arian heresy.
They persuaded him to renounce Arianism for the salvation both of himself and of the ship. After accepting the Christian truth and partaking of the Holy Mysteries, the sea immediately grew calm, and after four days they reached the harbor of Gaza known as Maiouma.
There the Christians welcomed the bishops with hymns. As the faithful entered Gaza, they passed through the place called Stavrodromi, where stood a statue of Aphrodite, especially venerated by women who believed it revealed their future husbands — though in reality this was demonic deception.
When the Christians arrived bearing the Honorable Cross, the idol suddenly shattered, and fragments gravely wounded two pagans. This miracle deeply shook many persecutors of Christianity, who afterward joined the flock of Christ.
A few days later the imperial magistrate Kynegios arrived with an armed escort and read the imperial decree ordering the destruction by fire of the eight pagan temples. Within ten days all were destroyed except the renowned Marneion, considered the most glorious sanctuary in the pagan world.
Seeking guidance for its destruction, Saint Porphyrios proclaimed fasting and prayer. During a liturgical assembly, a seven-year-old child suddenly cried out in Syriac that the inner sanctuary must be burned from its foundations because human sacrifices had been performed there, and afterward a Christian church should be built. The child declared that these words were spoken not by himself but by Christ dwelling within him.
Remarkably, both the mother and the child later confirmed this, the child repeating the message again — this time in Greek, though neither he nor his mother knew the language.
The Saint was astonished. When he intended to give three coins to the child’s mother, the child urged her not to accept them, saying that the gift of God cannot be exchanged for money.
The following day the Marneion was burned. Pagan property was confiscated, and an official opposing the destruction was instantly killed when a burning beam fell upon him.
Afterward many pagans embraced Christianity and, having been instructed by Saint Porphyrios, received Holy Baptism.
The Saint then began construction of the magnificent new church funded by Empress Eudoxia, who had also sent architectural plans and promised columns and marble. The entire people labored eagerly in laying the foundations, crying aloud:
“Christ has conquered!”
God further confirmed His presence through the miracle of three children who fell into a well yet were found unharmed, bearing marks in the form of the Cross.
At this time a woman named Julia from Antioch, belonging to the Manichaean heresy, arrived attempting to deceive newly baptized Christians with money. The Saint summoned her and urged repentance. She demanded a public debate.
During the discussion the divinely inspired bishop refuted her teachings with wisdom, while she blasphemed God. Saint Porphyrios declared that God Himself would silence her blasphemy. Immediately she began trembling, her face distorted, and after remaining speechless for some time, she died.
Those deceived by her repented, were instructed in the Orthodox faith, and were baptized.
Construction of the new church lasted five years. On Pascha day its solemn dedication was celebrated, and it was named Eudoxiana in honor of the empress. Monks and multitudes gathered to behold its beauty.
The Saint continued abundant almsgiving and strengthened the faithful. Yet pagans again stirred unrest, and during a violent uprising seven Christians were slain. Seeking the Saint’s life, they forced him temporarily to flee the episcopal residence.
An orphan girl named Salaphtha, wishing to become Christian, sheltered him until peace returned. She, her aunt, and grandmother were later baptized, and Salaphtha lived ascetically until her repose.
Saint Porphyrios lived several more years, defending Orthodoxy against the Pelagian heresy and participating in the Synod of Diospolis (415).
“Christ has conquered!”
God further confirmed His presence through the miracle of three children who fell into a well yet were found unharmed, bearing marks in the form of the Cross.
At this time a woman named Julia from Antioch, belonging to the Manichaean heresy, arrived attempting to deceive newly baptized Christians with money. The Saint summoned her and urged repentance. She demanded a public debate.
During the discussion the divinely inspired bishop refuted her teachings with wisdom, while she blasphemed God. Saint Porphyrios declared that God Himself would silence her blasphemy. Immediately she began trembling, her face distorted, and after remaining speechless for some time, she died.
Those deceived by her repented, were instructed in the Orthodox faith, and were baptized.
Construction of the new church lasted five years. On Pascha day its solemn dedication was celebrated, and it was named Eudoxiana in honor of the empress. Monks and multitudes gathered to behold its beauty.
The Saint continued abundant almsgiving and strengthened the faithful. Yet pagans again stirred unrest, and during a violent uprising seven Christians were slain. Seeking the Saint’s life, they forced him temporarily to flee the episcopal residence.
An orphan girl named Salaphtha, wishing to become Christian, sheltered him until peace returned. She, her aunt, and grandmother were later baptized, and Salaphtha lived ascetically until her repose.
Saint Porphyrios lived several more years, defending Orthodoxy against the Pelagian heresy and participating in the Synod of Diospolis (415).
When illness came, he composed a testament ensuring charity for the poor and hospitality for strangers, entrusting his flock to God.
He fell asleep in the Lord on February 26, 420, after shepherding Gaza for nearly twenty-five years as a loving shepherd, radiant guide, and fervent destroyer of idolatrous error.
His tomb lies on the northern side of the Byzantine Church bearing his name in Gaza, dating from the 12th century, surrounded by the Orthodox cemetery.
His earliest iconographic depiction appears in the Menologion of Basil II (11th century), while notable frescoes survive in monasteries of Thessaly and on Mount Athos.
He fell asleep in the Lord on February 26, 420, after shepherding Gaza for nearly twenty-five years as a loving shepherd, radiant guide, and fervent destroyer of idolatrous error.
His tomb lies on the northern side of the Byzantine Church bearing his name in Gaza, dating from the 12th century, surrounded by the Orthodox cemetery.
His earliest iconographic depiction appears in the Menologion of Basil II (11th century), while notable frescoes survive in monasteries of Thessaly and on Mount Athos.
Rich hymnography was composed in his honor from the 14th century onward, with complete services written by later hymnographers including Monk Gerasimos Mikragiannanitis (1987) and Dr. Haralambos Bousias (2010).
Other saints bearing the name Porphyrios are also commemorated in the Orthodox Church, including martyrs from Rome, Ephesus, Iconium, Alexandria, and Antioch of Pisidia.
Thus the wonderworking Saint Porphyrios, Bishop of Gaza — “the initiate of the Lord and filled with divine zeal,” revealed as “a most radiant luminary and chosen vessel of grace” — comes also to our spiritually estranged age to instruct, awaken, and guide us upon the path of life and salvation in Christ.
Let us therefore invoke his intercessions, that we too may follow our Lord Jesus Christ, whom this compassionate and philanthropic shepherd served with such zeal and love — the steadfast guide of the faithful and vigilant defender of the Orthodox dogmas.
Bibliography
Elias Ant. Voulgarakis, Saint Porphyrios, the Bishop of Gaza and Missionary, Apostoliki Diakonia Publications of the Church of Greece, Athens, 1976.
Mark the Deacon, Life and Service of Saint Porphyrios, Bishop of Gaza, Eptalophos Publications, Athens, 1991.
Mark the Deacon, Life of Saint Porphyrios, Bishop of Gaza, Zitros Publications, Thessaloniki, 2003.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
Other saints bearing the name Porphyrios are also commemorated in the Orthodox Church, including martyrs from Rome, Ephesus, Iconium, Alexandria, and Antioch of Pisidia.
Thus the wonderworking Saint Porphyrios, Bishop of Gaza — “the initiate of the Lord and filled with divine zeal,” revealed as “a most radiant luminary and chosen vessel of grace” — comes also to our spiritually estranged age to instruct, awaken, and guide us upon the path of life and salvation in Christ.
Let us therefore invoke his intercessions, that we too may follow our Lord Jesus Christ, whom this compassionate and philanthropic shepherd served with such zeal and love — the steadfast guide of the faithful and vigilant defender of the Orthodox dogmas.
Bibliography
Elias Ant. Voulgarakis, Saint Porphyrios, the Bishop of Gaza and Missionary, Apostoliki Diakonia Publications of the Church of Greece, Athens, 1976.
Mark the Deacon, Life and Service of Saint Porphyrios, Bishop of Gaza, Eptalophos Publications, Athens, 1991.
Mark the Deacon, Life of Saint Porphyrios, Bishop of Gaza, Zitros Publications, Thessaloniki, 2003.
Source: Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
