Patriarch
Our holy father Thomas, for his virtues and piety, was appointed as a deacon of the great church of Constantinople and made a sakellarios. During the reign of the tormentor Phocas, he was elected patriarch and diligently governed the church. During his patriarchate, a miracle occurred in Galatia, when the crosses during the litany swayed and broke, which foretold calamities for the church and the state. Saint Theodore of Sykeon, called to explain the miracle, predicted the devastation of the church and a schism among Christians. Patriarch Thomas, horrified, asked God to take his soul before the impending troubles. After an illness, he joyfully passed away, preferring death to witnessing the foretold sufferings. He governed the church for three years and two months, fighting against heretics and preserving the Orthodox teaching. After his death, Sergius ascended to the patriarchal throne, who later became corrupt and became the head of the Monophysite heresy, which led to calamities for the church and the state.
