Orthodox Icon of Saint Pelagia

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May 4th
Troparion (Tone 3)
Thou didst abandon dark ignorance through knowledge of the Faith, O Pelagia, fair virgin of Christ. Thou wast refreshed by His dew and didst finish thy contest by fire. O glorious Martyr, entreat Christ our God to grant us His great mercy.

Pelagia was born in Tarsus of wealthy parents of the nobility. She heard of salvation by Christ from Christians and embraced the Faith in her heart. This was during Emperor Diocletian's terrible persecution of Christians. The Emperor stopped in Tarsus and his son, the heir, fell in love with the beautiful Pelagia. He wanted to take her for his wife. St. Pelagia replied through her wicked mother that she was already betrothed to Christ the Lord. She had to flee from her mother and the heir. She found the righteous Bishop Linus who instructed her in the faith and baptised her. She gave away her expensive clothes and her wealth and returned to her mother to confess that she had already been baptised. The Emperor's son despaired of ever having her and ran himself through with a sword and died. Pelagia's mother turned her over to the Emperor as a Christian for trial. Diocletian himself burned in lust for her himself and tried to persuade her to denounce her faith. Pelagia remained steadfast and was then sentenced to be burned in a fiery hot, metal ox. They stripped her. She blessed herself with the sign of the Cross and entered the ox with prayers of thanksgiving to God on her lips. In an instant, she melted like wax. She willingly gave her soul to the Lord in 287. Bishop Linus hunted for the remains of her bones and buried them on a hill under a stone. In the 8th century a beautiful church was built in her honor over her grave.

This Icon is by the hand of Nicholas Papas. The icon is from St. George's Antiochian Orthodox Church in Altoona, PA.

Order # inp-117