The Church commemorates Hieromartyr Eleutherius and his mother Anthia.
Saint Eleftherios came from Rome. His mother Anthia was catechized in Christian faith by Paul the Apostle and raised her son according to the teachings of the Holy Gospel and the tradition of the Church.
At the age of fifteen, Saint Eleftherios was ordained a deacon, after receiving a Christian education and discipline.
Later, due to his spiritual struggles and virtuous life, he became Bishop of Illyricum. When informed of the strong morals and Christian activities of the young Eleftherios, the emperor Hadrian, out of envy and arrogance, ordered his arrest.
After many tortures and miraculous events, he encouraged the faithful and humiliated the arrogance and audacity of the pagans. He was then led by the pagans to the arena of Rome. The wild beasts, however, did not touch him; on the contrary, they respected him, so he was beheaded, receiving the grace of the Apostles from Jesus Christ after he became an imitator of their course.
When she hugged the dead body of her son, Saint Anthia was beheaded, remaining another example of a loving mother dedicated to the protection and promotion of her child in society.
Source: Church of Cyprus