Saint of the Day – 14 August – St Marcellus of Apamea

St Marcellus of Apamea, bishop and martyr. Marcellus was born in Cyprus and martyred in Syria in the year 389. Having been raised strongly in the Faith by an illustrious Cypriot family, and after the reception of a great education, Saint Marcellus became a high ranking civil magistrate noted for his possessing all the virtues. In the year 375, when his wife died and his children were provided for, he left the island and devoted himself to a monastic life in Syria. Whilst there the people of Apamea chose him as their bishop. As bishop, he worked with evangelical fervor to bring pagans to Christ.

Saint Marcellus received permission from the emperor Theodosius the Great to destroy a temple of Jupiter at Apamea, but the demon inhabiting it resisted all attempts to demolish its lair. Saint Marcellus blessed some water and commanded that this be sprinkled around the wood used as leverage to undermine the great stone columns of the temple. After this, the wood burned fast, the columns fell down and the whole pagan temple collapsed in upon itself.

When the Roman soldiers sent to assist him, demolished another pagan temple, the saint was seized by furious pagans and thrown into a fire, where he died.