After the martyr's death of Saint Archdeacon Lawrence, blessed Hippolytus, a military commander and jailer, honorably buried the long-suffering remains of the martyr. His household, numbering nineteen people, were Christians and had been baptized by Saint Lawrence. After a common prayer and communion of the Divine Mysteries, blessed Hippolytus was arrested and brought before King Decius, who mocked him. Hippolytus, affirming his faith, was subjected to cruel tortures but remained steadfast. He refused to offer sacrifices to the pagan gods, wishing to die for Christ, as Saint Lawrence did. In the end, he was executed along with eighteen believers, including his nurse Concordia, who also accepted a martyr's death. The bodies of the saints were gathered and buried by Saint Justin, and the body of Concordia was found and buried next to Hippolytus. Both saints, Irenaeus and Avundius, who extracted the body of Concordia, also suffered for their faith. Saint Hippolytus and Saint Concordia suffered on August 13, 258.
