They suffered for the faith of Christ during the time of Julian the Apostate in Brusa in Asia. The imperial governor Junius brought these saints to the hot waters and asked Patrick: “Who created these healing waters, did they not our gods Aesculapius and the others, whom we worship?” Saint Patrick replied: “Your gods are demons, and these waters, like everything else, were created by Christ the Lord and our God.” Then the governor asked: “And will your Christ save you if I throw you into this hot water?” The saint replied: “If He wills, He can preserve me whole and unharmed, although I would like to be freed from this temporal life in that water, so that I may live with Christ forever; but let His holy will be upon me, without which not a hair falls from a man’s head!” Hearing this, the governor ordered that Patrick be thrown into the boiling water. The boiling drops splashed in all directions and burned many of those present, but the saint of God, on whose tongue there was constant prayer, remained unharmed as if he were standing in cold water. Seeing this, the governor was enraged with shame and ordered that Patrick and the other three of his presbyters be beheaded with an axe. Then these harmless followers of Christ recited a prayer and laid their heads under the executioner’s axe. When their heads were cut off, their joyful souls ascended into the bright kingdom of Christ, to reign forever.

Saint John, Bishop of Gotha. Saint Prince John of Vologda