Silvanus of Gaza (hieromartyr)
{{Short description|Palestinian martyr of the Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches}}
{{Infobox saint
|honorific_prefix = Saint
|name = Silvanus of Gaza
|birth_date =
|death_date = ca. 311 AD
|feast_day = May 4
|venerated_in = Oriental Orthodox Church
Eastern Orthodox Church
Roman Catholic Church
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|birth_place = Syria Palaestina
|death_place = Phaeno
|titles = Hieromartyr
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|canonized_date = Pre-Congregation
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}}Silvanus of Gaza, also Hieromartyr Silvanus of Gaza was bishop of Gaza and a martyr during the Great Persecution, together with 39 other Christians. He is venerated as a saint by the Roman Catholic and the Eastern Orthodox Church and his feast day is the 4 May and the 14 October, respectively.{{cite web |title=St Silvanus of Gaza – Feast Day – May 4 |url=https://catholicreadings.org/saint-silvanus-of-gaza/ |website=Catholic Daily Readings |date=6 June 2019 |access-date=12 November 2023}}{{cite web |title=Hieromartyr Silvanus of Gaza |url=https://www.oca.org/saints/lives/2001/10/14/102970-hieromartyr-silvanus-of-gaza |website=The Orthodox Church in America |publisher=OCA |access-date=12 November 2023}}
Biography
Silvanus was most likely born and raised in Gaza. Little is known of his life, but he seems to have been a soldier during his young manhood before he became a priest.{{cite book |last1=Khoury |first1=Bishop Demetri |title=A Cloud of Witnesses Saints and Martyrs from the Holy Land |date=July 2008 |publisher=AuthorHouse |isbn=9781434394408 |pages=98–99 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=K59oD_a7PqkC |access-date=12 November 2023}} He then became known for his life of exemplary rectitude and piety and was therefore made presbyter of the Gazan church.
During the Diocletian Persecution he was condemned to work as a slave in the copper mines of Phaeno. By that time he was already old and soon weakened under the atrocious work in the mines, making him incapable of continue to work though he encouraged his fellow Christians to remain strong in their faith. When it was decided that those who were incapable of working in the mines were to be killed, Silvanus and 39 other Christians were martyred. Silvanus was beheaded and was known as hieromartyr as he had become bishop of Gaza.
See also
{{Portal|Saints}}