Hieromartyr Сильван Газский

Hieromartyr Silvanus, Bishop of Gaza, came from the region around the Palestinian city of Gaza. In his youth he served as a soldier, but desiring to serve the Heavenly King he entered holy orders and was later consecrated bishop of Gaza, converting many pagans to Christ through his preaching. During the persecution of Christians under Emperor Diocletian, continued in the eastern provinces under Maximinus Daia, Bishop Silvanus was brought to trial at Caesarea in Palestine. After enduring severe torture with great courage, he was condemned to forced labor in the copper mines of Phaeno. Though worn out by the brutal labor, he remained unbroken in spirit and continued to preach Christ to his fellow prisoners, converting and strengthening many of them in the faith. This provoked the fury of the pagan authorities, and Bishop Silvanus, together with forty of the martyrs he had converted, was beheaded around the year 311. The sufferings of Bishop Silvanus and his companions are recorded by the church historian Eusebius of Caesarea, an eyewitness to the persecutions in Palestine. The Hieromartyr Silvanus of Gaza is commemorated on 4/17 May.