Apostle Sosipater

Ss. Jason and Sosipater

The holy, glorious, all-laudable Apostle Sosipater is numbered among the Seventy Apostles. Born in Achaea, he was Bishop in Iconium (prior to the Apostle Tertius) by his relative the Apostle Paul. With the Apostle Jason he traveled to the island of Corfu where they built a church in honor of the Apostle Stephen the Protomartyr and converted many pagans to the Christian faith. Seeing this, the king of Corfu threw them into prison where they converted seven other prisoners to the Christian faith: Saturninus, Jakischolus, Faustianus, Januarius, Marsalius, Euphrasius and Mammius. The king had those seven put to death for their faith in boiling pitch.

The king's daughter, the virgin Cercyra, having watched these holy apostles being tortured and turned to the Christian faith, distributed all her jewels to the poor. The king became angry and put her in prison, yet she would not deny Christ. So he had the prison burned, but she remained unharmed. Many people were baptized upon seeing this miracle. He then had her killed with arrows while tied to a tree.

Many believers fled to a nearby island to get away from the enraged king, but as he chased them his boat sank. The new king embraced the Christian faith and in baptism received the name Sebastian. From then on Sts. Sosipater and Jason freely preached the Gospel and built up the Church in Corfu until a very old age, when they gave up their souls to God. St. Sosipater's feast days are November 10 and April 28.

Hymns

November 10

Troparion (Tone 3) [1]

Holy Apostles, Erastus, Olympas, Herodian, Sosipater, Quartus and Tertius,

entreat the merciful God,

to grant our souls forgiveness of transgressions.

Kontakion (Tone 2)

Illumined by divine light, O holy apostles,

you wisely destroyed the works of idolatry.

When you caught all the pagans you brought them to the Master

and taught them to glorify the Trinity.

April 28

Troparion (Tone 3) [2]

O holy Apostles Jason and Sosipater,

Pray to the merciful God,

That He may grant to our souls

Remission of our transgressions.

Kontakion (Tone 2)

O Jason, source of healing,

And Sosipater, glory of the martyrs of Christ:

You were enlightened by the preaching of Paul,

Both becoming a great consolation to the world through your miracles.

Thrice-holy and God-bearing Apostles and defenders of those who suffer,

Intercede with Christ God that He may save our souls.

Source

St. Nikolai Velimirovic, The Prologue of Ohrid