October 16: Saint Longinus the Centurion is celebratedtranslated

Today, the Church honors the memory of Saint Longinus the Centurion and the two soldiers who were martyred with him, the memory of Saint Malos, who lived ascetically and slept peacefully, and the martyrs Leontius, Dometius, Terentius and Domninus, who ended their martyrdom, receiving the crown of sainthood. The Cappadocian Longinus lived under Tiberius. He was the head of the military corps to which Pilate had entrusted the crucifixion of Christ, as well as the sealing and guarding of the Life-giving tomb of the Lord. Seeing the solemn events at the time of the crucifixion, he believed in Christ and exclaimed the confession known from the Gospel: "truly this is the Son of God" (Matthew 27, 54).

He immediately abandoned his mission. He lost the position and riches he enjoyed. He fled to his homeland together with two soldiers. They devoted themselves to the teaching of salvation in Christ, preaching the miracle of the Resurrection of the God-man. This act, and by extension the ecclesiastical action of the Centurion, was reported to Pilate. Then he informed Tiberius of the desertion of Longinus and the two soldiers.

Then, by order of the emperor, envoys were sent and the…