Acepsimas of Hnaita

Last updated
Saint

Acepsimas of Hnaita
Bishop, Martyr
DiedOctober 10, 376
Hnaita, Paka Persia
Venerated in Syriac Orthodox Church
Eastern Orthodox church
Roman Catholic Church
Feast November 3 in Greek Orthodox Church
April 22 in Roman Catholic Church
September 2 in Syriac Orthodox Church

Acepsimas of Hnaita (died October 10, 376) was a bishop, martyr and saint.

Contents

Life

Acepsimas was the bishop of Hnaita, residing at Paka in western Persia. He and several companions, including the priest Joseph of Bet-Katoba, who was then 70 years old, and the deacon Aitillaha of Bet-Nuhadra, who was then 66 years old, were arrested by Shapur II for refusing to worship according to the Zoroastrian faith. Acepsimas was taken in chains to Arbela (modern Erbil) before the governor. This judge admired how he could deny the divinity of the sun, which all the East adored. The martyr answered him, expressing his astonishment how men could prefer a creature to the Creator. By the orders of the governor he was laid on the ground with his feet bound, and in that posture barbarously scourged, till his whole body was covered with blood. He was then thrown into prison. [1]

Acepsimas endured three years of prison before he was racked and whipped to death on October 10, 376. Joseph was taken to Hdajab where he was tortured until he was stoned to death by apostate Christians at Tabaha on the Friday after Pentecost, 377. Aithalla was stoned to death at Destegerd on November 3, 377. They were the last martyrs of the Christian persecution of Shapur II. The book of their acts, which has survived, is said to be genuine. [2]

Veneration

Acepsimas and his companions are considered saints. The Roman Catholic Church keeps their feast on April 22. The Greek and Russian Orthodox Churches keep their feast with the full office of the day on November 3. The Syriac Orthodox Church keeps their feast on September 2. Aithalla has a feast in the Greek Orthodox Church held in his specific honor on September 1. [3]

Other individuals who are recognized with this group include the bishop Abdjesus and a deacon named Abdjesu.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">April 9 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)</span>

April 8 - Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar - April 10

<span class="mw-page-title-main">April 30 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)</span>

April 29 - Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar - May 1

<span class="mw-page-title-main">May 16 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)</span>

May 15 - Eastern Orthodox Church calendar - May 17

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abdecalas</span>

Saint Abdecalas was a Persian priest of advanced age who, together with another priest, Saint Ananias, and about a hundred other Christians, was killed under the Persian ruler Shapur II on Good Friday, 345. One of these others was also named Abdecalas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">November 3 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)</span>

November 2 - Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar - November 4

Abdisho and Abda were two successive bishops of Kashkar who were martyred along with 38 companions in 376 during the Forty-Year Persecution in the Sasanian Empire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shemon Bar Sabbae</span>

Mar Shimun Bar Sabbae was Bishop of Seleucia-Ctesiphon, from Persia, the de facto head of the Church of the East, until his death. He was bishop during the persecutions of King Shapur II of the Sasanian Empire of Iran, and was executed along with many of his followers. He is revered as a saint in various Christian communions.

Chusdazat is the name of a priest and fellow martyr of Bishop Simeon Barsabae. He was a eunuch of King Shapur II.

Abdisho, a member of the Church of the East, was a deacon and martyr.

Dausa was a bishop and martyr of the Christian church.

Barbaʿshmin, also called Barbasceminus, was a fourth-century bishop of Seleucia-Ctesiphon, primate of the Church of the East, and martyr. He succeeded Shahdost as bishop of Seleucia-Ctesiphon in 343, during the great persecution of Shapur II, and was martyred three years later, in 346. Like several other early bishops of Seleucia-Ctesiphon, he is included in the traditional list of patriarchs of the Church of the East, which also considers him a saint. His feast day is January 14.

Abrosima was a Persian Christian priest and martyr. His name is also listed as Abrosimus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">November 20 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)</span>

November 19 - Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar - November 21

<span class="mw-page-title-main">December 1 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)</span>

November 30 - Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar - December 2

<span class="mw-page-title-main">December 10 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)</span>

December 9 - Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar - December 11

<span class="mw-page-title-main">December 30 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)</span>

December 29 - Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar - December 31

← October 31 | November 1 | November 2 →

← November 9 | November 10 | November 11 →

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martyrs of Persia under Shapur II</span>

The Martyrs of Persia under Shapur II were Assyrian Christian martyrs who were put to death by Shapur II of Persia for failing to renounce their faith. There may have been several thousand in total. They are remembered as a group in the Roman and Orthodox calendars. The Roman Martyrology gives feast days of 6 April, 22 April and 9 May for different groups.

References

  1. ↑ Father Alban Butler (1866). "Saints Acepsimas, Bishop; Joseph, Priest; and Aithilahas, Deacon, Martyrs". Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs, and Principal Saints.
  2. ↑ Delaney, John J. (March 15, 2005). Dictionary of Saints . Publisher: Image; 2nd ed. edition. ISBN   978-0385515207.
  3. ↑ Saint Aceptismas of Hnaita Retrieved on 28 Mar 2018

Sources

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.