Patriarch
Saint Cyriacus, Bishop of Jerusalem, met a martyr's end during the persecutions of Julian the Apostate. He was captured and subjected to cruel tortures for refusing to offer sacrifices to idols. The emperor ordered his right hand to be cut off, then molten tin to be poured into his mouth, and he was placed on a heated copper bed. The mother of the saint, Anna, came to the place of torture and was captured and hanged, after which Saint Cyriacus himself died, thrown into a boiling cauldron and pierced with a spear.
Cyriacus, who bore the name Judas before his baptism, indicated to Saint Helena the place where the Life-Giving Cross was hidden. Being a Jew, he believed in Christ and became a Christian after the discovery of the Cross. For his virtuous life, he was elevated to the patriarchal throne of Jerusalem. In 363, having accepted suffering for his faith, Saint Cyriacus completed his earthly journey with a martyr's death.
