Orthodox Icon of St. Laurence the Archdeacon

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August 10th
Troparion (Tone 4)
O Lord our God, your holy martyr Laurence has deserved the crown of immortality on account of his good fight. Armed with your strength, he has vanquished his persecutors and crushed Satan's dreadful might. Through his supplications, O Christ God, save our souls!

Laurence was archdeacon in Rome under Pope Sixtus II. The Pope and his two other deacons were arrested shortly after he had been ordained Bishop. As they were being led away to torture and death, Laurence called after them, "Where are you going, Father, without your son? Whither, O Bishop, without your archdeacon?" The Pope prophesied that he would shortly follow them. Laurence was the treasurer for the church, responsible for taking care of the poor. Emperor Valerian's men tortured and killed St. Sixtus, then came after Laurence to get the church's money. They asked him to tell them where the treasure of the church was. He had hid the money in the house of a widower, Cyriacus. He asked the soldiers to come back at an appointed time to the church and he would reveal to them the treasure of the Church. When the soldiers came, St. Laurence opened the doors and all the soldiers saw was the congregation of believers. He said, "Behold the treasure of the Church!" The soldiers took him to prison, where he healed several inmates and guards, leading the captain of the guard, Hippolytus, to faith. His persecutors were so enraged that they took down a city gate and chained Laurence to it and used it as a grill to roast him over a fire. St. Laurence suffered cheerfully and still taunted his tormentors. He reposed in 258. St. Hippolytus soon followed him in martyrdom.

This Icon is by the hand of Nicholas Papas. It is the South Deacon's Door at St. Philip Antiochian Orthodox Church, Souderton, Pennsylvania.

Order # phi-10