Commemoration of the Holy Apostle Quadratus of the Seventy
Feast Day: October 4/ September 21

18th Sunday after Pentecost. Tone one.

The Life of the Saint
• Apostolic Ministry: Saint Quadratus was a Bishop of Athens who also preached the Word of God in Magnesia (Thessaly). Through his powerful preaching, he converted many pagans to Christ.
• Martyrdom: Driven by hatred, an angry pagan mob attempted to stone him. Though God miraculously preserved his life, he was cast into prison, where he ultimately glorified God through martyrdom, dying of starvation. He was buried in Magnesia.
Defense of the Faith (The Apologia)
• The Apologia (126 AD): Saint Quadratus wrote a famous Apologia (defense of Christianity) and presented it to the Emperor Hadrian.
• Historical Impact: His writing successfully influenced the Emperor to issue a decree stating that Christians could not be convicted without proof.
• A Witness to Miracles: While only a fragment preserved by the 4th-century historian Eusebius survives today, Saint Quadratus powerfully testified that Christ’s miracles were undeniable because the people He healed and raised from the dead lived on for a long time, some even surviving into the saint's own lifetime.
Holy Apostle Quadratus, pray to God for us!