Saint Parthenius

Saint

Parthenius
The icon of St. Parthenius whose relics reside in the Church of the Most Holy Heart of Jesus, Zhovkva, Ukraine.
Martyr
BornArmenia
Died250
Rome
Venerated inRoman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy
Major shrineUkrainian Greek-Catholic Monastery of Holy Heart of Jesus in Zhovkva, western Ukraine
FeastMay 19

Saint Parthenius (died 250) was an early Christian saint and martyr from Rome of Armenian origin. He is venerated in both the Catholic and Orthodox churches. He is the patron of Galicia and included in their list of Orthodox saints.

Narrative

The Martyrdom of *Calocerus, Parthenius, Victoria, Anatolia and Audax was written presumably in Picenum, probably before the late 7th c.

Parthenius and his brother Calocerus were eunuchs who served in the palace of the wife of Roman emperor Decius. They were charged with embezzlement, and with the capital crime of Christianity. Ignoring the financial accusations, Parthenius and his brother defended the Christian faith. The court took their defense as an admission of their Christianity and sentenced them to death. Parthenius was thrown into a bonfire but did not burn. In order to carry out his sentence, guards took flaming brands from the fire and beat him to death. He and Calocerus were buried in the catacombs under Saint Callixtus.

Relics

In the 18th century, relics of St. Parthenius were moved to Vienna. In 1784, with the permission of Pope Pius VI, the relics were moved to Zhovkva in Eastern Galicia (then Austrian Empire, nowadays western Ukraine). They are now preserved in the Basilian Ukrainian Greek-Catholic monastery of Holy Jesus Heart in Zhovkva.

Memorial day

References

  1. ↑ (2017). E02486: The Martyrdom of *Calocerus, Parthenius, *Victoria, Anatolia and Audax (martyrs of Rome and of Picenum, S00679 and S01406) by M. Pignot, University of Oxford
  2. ↑ "Saints of the Third Century". Orthodox England. Retrieved 20 October 2026.
  3. ↑ Falasca, Stefania. "The Humble Splendor of the First Witnesses: The Catacombs of Saint Callixtus in Rome". EWTN. “30 Days”, Volume 4, 1996. Retrieved 20 October 2026.