Saint Sampson the Hospitable was born in ancient Rome and was raised in a noble family. He received an excellent education and got to know the science of medicine, which he used to offer every possible help to the poor and to all who were in need.
After the death of his parents, he distributed his inheritance and withdrew to the desert. Later, he settled in Constantinople, where he founded a shelter and a hospital in order to take care of the sick and of all travelers. Although he personally preferred a life of quiet asceticism, he was ordained a priest by the Patriarch himself.
When Emperor Justinian I once suffered from a severe illness, he saw Saint Sampson in a dream. The very next day, he went to find him. The saint healed him simply by touching him. When the emperor wished to reward him for this act, Sampson asked only that a shelter be built for travelers. Justinian fulfilled his request, and the saint continued to serve the sick until a very old age.
He fell asleep in peace. His body was buried with honors. After his death, many miracles took place. From his relics flowed healing myrrh, curing the faithful and relieving every kind of illness.
