Holy Apostles Stachys, Amplias, Urban, Narcissus, Apelles and Aristobulus, of the Seventy (I)

The holy Apostles of the Seventy: Stachys, Amplias, Urban, Narcissus, Apelles and Aristobulus.

Saint Stachys (Rom. 16:9) was appointed bishop of Byzantium by Andrew the First-called. The blessed one laboured there for sixteen years, zealously preaching the true faith and converting many pagans to Christianity, and at last committed his soul to the Lord in peace. Saint Amplias (Rom. 16:8) was bishop of the city of Diospolis, and Saint Urban (Rom. 16:9) of Macedonia. They too were consecrated hierarchs by Saint Andrew. For spreading the teaching of the Gospel the Lord’s disciples were tortured to death by the Jews and the Hellene pagans. Saint Narcissus was bishop of Athens, Apelles of Heraclea in Thrace, while Aristobulus (Rom. 16:10) was the hierarch of Britain and reposed there in peace (see the reading for 16 March about him).