● Orthodox/Catholic Remembrance Day: July 27
● Name means: the most merciful/all lion (Greek)
● Doctor, martyr, emergency helper
● Patron: doctors, nurses, pharmacists, midwives; pets; against headaches, emaciation,
locust plague; in case of abandonment and livestock diseases
● Attributes: nails, ointment box, medicinal plant
● Born around 278 in Nicomedia, today Ízmit, Turkey
● Died around 305
Pantoléon, later known as Panteléimon, was born towards the end of the 3rd century in
Nikomédia, present-day İzmit in Turkey. Despite his young age, he already displayed
extraordinary healing powers. One day, he walked upon a dead child bitten by a snake lying on
the street. Moved by compassion and faith, he proclaimed the name of Jesus, and the child
returned to life.
Pantoléon’s gift did not go unnoticed, and he received training in medicine from the imperial
personal physician, Euphrosynus. Soon, Emperor Diocletian appointed him as his personal
physician due to his exceptional skills. However, his faith was discovered, and he was
subsequently sentenced to death by the sword.
Before his execution, Pantoléon prayed fervently for all those in need, and a voice from heaven
thundered, “From now on, you will be the refuge of the desperate, the help of the tested, the
doctor of the sick, and the terror of the demons. That’s why your name is no longer Pantoléon,
but Panteléimon!” The name “Panteléimon” is derived from the Greek “Allerbarmer,” which
means “All-Merciful.”
Panteléimon’s story of martyrdom has been passed down over the years. Theodoret of Cyrrhus, a
Christian bishop and historian, first documented the veneration of Panteléimon in the 4th
century. In the 5th or 6th century, the first Greek version of Panteléimon’s suffering was written.
He is honored as a grand martyr by the Eastern Church and is considered one of the Holy
Doctors. In 550, Emperor Justinian I, also known as “the Great,” commissioned the construction
of a church in Constantinople in his honor.
Pantoléon’s life and deeds remain an inspiration to many, a testament to the strength of faith,
compassion, and healing.
