Today our Church honors the memory of Saint Abercius, Bishop of Hierapolis of Phrygia.
Saint Abercius lived during the 2nd century AD. and thanks to his impeccable ethos, great faith, and didactic action he was chosen by the Holy Spirit and the people of Phrygia to the position of Bishop, the spiritual leader of the people of God.
He fought exemplary to put into practice the evangelical word of the Great Archpriest Jesus Christ: “Whoever wants to be first, must voluntarily become last and serve all.” Being a model of humiliation, Saint Abercius often said that “it is not enough for the lord to appear as such, but to be real”, that is, to increase his efforts and ministry towards others, depending on his position.
He preached the gospel in Syria, Mesopotamia, Lycaonia, Phrygia, and Pisidia, and with the grace of the Lord, he claimed to perform many miracles. His action reached as far as Rome, where he healed the demon-possessed daughter of the emperor Marcus Aurelius.
He fell asleep in the Lord at the age of 72, having performed an enviable missionary work. For this work, the Church honored him with the title of Equal-to-apostles (Isapóstolos).
Source: Church of Cyprus