Hieromartyr Pancratius of Taormina

Hieromartyr Pancratius is venerated as the first bishop of Tauromenium, today's Taormina in Sicily. His cult there is attested from the 5th–6th centuries, and in 591 Pope Gregory the Great ordered a basilica dedicated to Saints Stephen, Pancratius and Euplus to be consecrated in Messina.

His extensive Life, attributed to his disciple Evagrius and dated by scholars to the 8th–9th centuries, says he was born near Antioch during Christ's earthly life, lived as a hermit in Pontus, met the Apostle Peter and followed him to Antioch and Cilicia. Peter consecrated him bishop and sent him to Sicily. In Tauromenium he drove the demons from a pagan shrine, converted the governor Boniface, who built a church in thirty days, and baptised many of the inhabitants.

After many years of peaceful ministry he was lured to a pagan feast by a certain Artagar; when an idol fell at his prayer, the pagans killed him. Taormina still honours him as its patron with a procession on 9 July. The Orthodox Church commemorates him on 9/22 July and on 9/22 February together with Hieromartyrs Marcellus of Sicily and Philagrius of Cyprus.