Pausicacus of Synada
was a Christian saint, monk, ascetic, and bishop of
Synada
.
[1]
The saint's name, in Greek Παυσ?κακο?, derives from the words πα?σι? (
pavsis
) ("to stop, to cease") and κακ?α (
kakia
) ("evil, misfortune"); it means "to stop evil".
[2]
Biography
[
edit
]
The motherland of Saint Pausicacus of Synada was a city called
Apamea
, which was situated in the southwest
Syria
.
Pausicacus was born in a noble and pious family. When he was a child, he began to live as an
ascetic
? he spent almost all his time praying. At the age of twenty-five, he became a monk. Living on only a little water and bread, Pausicacus was given a gift of healing, and he began to cure bodily and mental illnesses.
As time went on, there are rumors that he could
exorcise
demons from people, restore vision to the blind and perform a lot of other marvels. At last, these rumors reached the
Patriarch of Constantinople
,
Cyriacus
(592 ? 606). The Patriarch called the monk to Constantinople and ordained him a bishop, appointing him bishop of
Synada
, which was north of
Phrygia
.
[3]
As soon as Saint Pausicacus became a bishop, he began to banish heretics and freethinkers and people who persisted in immorality from his congregation. When he became famous in Phrygia by his care of his congregation, he traveled to Constantinople, where he healed the Emperor
Maurice
of his illness. For this, the Emperor gave Pausicacus’s province a reward.
When Pausicacus was returning from Constantinople to Synada, he asked the Lord for water to quench the thirst of his companions. At his prayer, a spring of pure water sprang up from the ground.
[4]
Saint Pausicacus died in 606. His burial place is unknown.
[5]
[3]
His
name day
is celebrated on 26 May.
References
[
edit
]
Further reading
[
edit
]
Lives of the Saints in the presentation of St. Dmitry Tuptalo (Rostov). Volume IX: May
.
Lviv
: Svichado. 496.
ISBN
978-966-395-392-2
.