The Church commemorates the Apostle Philip, one of the seven Deacons, and Venerable Theophanes Graptus, Bishop of Nicaea.
Saint Philip was originally from Caesarea of Palestine and is one of the seven deacons of the First Church of Jerusalem.
He preached the Holy Gospel in Samaria, where he baptized Simon the Sorcerer a Christian. Then, on his way, he met the Ethiopian eunuch of Queen Kandake and after initiating him into the Orthodox faith and the confession of the true God, he baptized him a Christian.
Then, with his teaching, he persuaded almost all the inhabitants of Tralleis to believe in Christ and be baptized in the name of God.
In the city of Tralleis, after building a temple and organizing the Christian community, he reposed in the Lord.
The Twelve Apostles and their companions, such as Deacon Philip, laid the foundations for the local Churches by ordinating bishops and presbyters, as well as by spreading the Holy Gospel, according to the command of Christ: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19).
Source: Church of Cyprus
