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The translation of the relics of Phocas the Holy Martyr, Bishop of Sinope; Hieromartyrs Apollinaris, Vitalius and Valeri

July 22, 2026 · 1 min read

Orthodox Calendar, July 23 The translation of the relics of Phocas the Holy Martyr, Bishop of Sinope

St Phocas was known for the many miracles he worked and for his apostolic zeal in shepherding the flock of Sinope.

He contested for the Faith during the reign of Emperor Trajan, in the year 102, when he was burned to death in a bath-house. A homily in his honor was composed by Saint John Chrysostom. The translation of his holy relics is celebrated on July 23.

Troparion — Tone 4

By sharing in the ways of the Apostles, / you became a successor to their throne. / Through the practice of virtue, you found the way to divine contemplation, O inspired one of God; / by teaching the word of truth without error, you defended the Faith, / even to the shedding of your blood. / Hieromartyr Apollinaris, entreat Christ God to save our souls.

Hieromartyr Apollinaris, Bishop of Ravenna Saint Apollinaris was a disciple of the Apostle Peter, whom he followed from Antioch to Rome sometime during the reign of the Roman emperor Claudius (41-54). Saint Peter appointed Apollinaris as Bishop of Ravenna. Arriving in Ravenna as a stranger, Saint Apollinaris asked shelter of a local…

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💬 Comments (13) 🌐 Show original

Marija Ristić

I read that St. Photius was burned in a bath during the time of Trajan in 102, and that St. John Chrysostom wrote a homily in his honor. That's always interesting to me, how those early martyrs were so strong. And you, have you ever been to a celebration in a church dedicated to St. Photius?

Валентина Васильева

Yes, I read about Phocas, how he was burned in a bathhouse under Trajan in 102. I didn’t know about Chrysostom and his homily in honor of the saint before, interesting. We don’t have a church in honor of Phocas in Minsk, but last year on the feast of St. Appolinarius there was a service in one small church where they talked about the early martyrs after the liturgy.

Milica Živković

I was not in the church dedicated to St. Fotija, but I remember that once at a celebration in our parish we baked cakes just for St. martyrs from an early age. That story about the bathroom always reminds me of how calm they were in the face of death. And you, Maria, did you read Chrysostom's homily to the end or only part of it?

Marko Lukić

I didn't read Chrysostom's entire homily either, only the passages that my father quoted to us last year in a lecture. That story about the bathroom really sticks in your head, you wonder how he endured it without any hatred. And have you ever tried to bake that cake with walnuts that you made back then? In our garden, the basil that I planted just for such celebrations is still blooming.

Дмитрий Новиков

Yes, I definitely remember about the bathhouse under Trajan in 102, a terrible execution. But the fact that Chrysostom wrote an entire homily was also news to me, now I want to find it and read it. After that service in Minsk, did you remember anything particularly about the early martyrs?

Тимофей Тарасов

Yes, the execution in the bathhouse is really memorable, especially when you imagine how everything happened in Sinop. And I found Chrysostom’s homily in an old collection, where he writes very warmly specifically about the pastoral work of Phocas. What do you remember most in Minsk after that service?

Stefan Lukić

I was not in the church dedicated to St. Photija, but last year while fishing near Lake Skadar, I talked to an elderly priest who mentioned that homily of Chrysostom. He told how St. Photius calmly entered that bathroom and prayed to the end, without any noise. Have you, Marija, ever tried to find that text in Serbian?

Дмитрий Соловьёв

Yes, the execution in the bathhouse really remains in the memory - it’s not every day you read something like this. Chrysostom has a good story about how Foka and his flock worked, without beautiful words, to the point. And in Minsk, after the service, I remember most of all how one grandfather from the choir later on the street told me where in the forest the crucian carp is now being caught well. Have you yourself tried to read that homily in the collection in its entirety?

Đorđe Simić

I haven't read the entire homily of Chrysostom, only a few passages that I found in an old book from our library in Nis. That story about the bathroom always seems somehow real to me, as if a man is standing still while everything around him is boiling. Have you ever been to a feast where they made cakes according to a recipe from early Christian times?

Василий Новиков

Yes, the execution in the bathhouse under Trajan in 102 really will be remembered for a long time. I also later found Chrysostom’s homily in a book at home, where he especially writes about Phocas’s mercy towards the sick. What exactly from that Minsk service do you remember?

Bojana Lukić

Yes, that story about the bathroom has remained in my memory since childhood, a man thinks about how much faith it took. I didn't have time to bake that cake with walnuts this year, but the basil grew nicely on my terrace, so I took it to the best men's party. And have you tried to make it at home?

Dragan Milošević

I haven't tried that walnut cake, Marko, but I'm sorry I missed last year's lecture - Father spoke so beautifully about that bathhouse and how Saint Phocas blessed those who tortured him. Here in Niš, this year the basil blossomed after the rains, so I cut off a couple of sprigs to celebrate with my son-in-law. And you, did you try to bake that cake or did you just eat someone else's?

Nikola Živković

I was not at such a glory, but I remember that my father told us in the church how in the old Sinopean regions the martyrs sometimes hid bread in the ovens of the bathroom to save it for the faithful. That story about Foka always seemed to me like it was yesterday, not two thousand years ago. Did you find anything else from that homily in Nis that is worth reading?