Martyr Alban of Britain

Martyr Alban was a pagan, a resident of the Romano-British city of Verulamium (modern St Albans, England). He sheltered a persecuted Christian priest in his home, and, observing the priest's pious life and prayer, was himself converted to Christ. When soldiers came for the priest, Alban put on the priest's clothes and voluntarily gave himself up for judgment in his place. For refusing to sacrifice to pagan gods and firmly confessing the Christian faith, he was beheaded on a hill outside the city — according to tradition, a spring of water miraculously burst forth there. The dating of his death varies among sources: one version places it around 209, another, more widespread version, around 304, during the persecution of Diocletian. He is one of the few martyrs of Roman-era Britain known by name, along with Saints Aaron and Julius. On 9 March 2017, by decision of the Holy Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, his name was added to the general church calendar; that same year his feast was celebrated for the first time in the ROC.