Martyr
Martyr Desiderius of Puteoli, Reader
†ок. 305
Martyr Desiderius of Puteoli — a church reader who, unable to hold back his tears at the sight of the sufferings of his bishop, Hieromartyr Januarius of Benevento, was thrown into prison in the city of Puteoli together with him by the pagans; the next day he was led into the circus to be torn apart by wild beasts, but the beasts did not touch the martyrs, after which all were beheaded for confessing Christ around 305, during the persecution of Emperor Diocletian.
Martyr Desiderius was a reader (a minor church cleric) and, seeing the cruel torments to which his bishop — Hieromartyr Januarius, Bishop of Benevento — was subjected, could not hold back tears of compassion. For this, the pagans threw him into prison in the city of Puteoli together with Januarius himself. In the same prison were two deacons — Saints Sosius and Proculus — and two laymen — Saints Eutychius and Acutio. The next morning all the martyrs were led into the city circus to be torn apart by wild beasts, but the beasts, contrary to the executioners' expectations, did not touch the confessors. Then all of them — Hieromartyr Januarius, the reader Desiderius, the deacons Sosius and Proculus, and the laymen Eutychius and Acutio — were beheaded around 305, during the persecution of Emperor Diocletian. Their memory is kept on September 19/October 2.