"Now when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, 'Truly this was the Son of God!'" (Matthew 27:54). This centurion was Longinus. He was the commander of the soldiers present at Golgotha ​​when the Lord was crucified, and the leader of the guard that watched over the Holy Tomb. The Jewish elders failed to bribe him into claiming that Christ had not risen but had instead been stolen by His disciples; consequently, they sought to kill him. Longinus then received baptism, along with two of his soldiers, and departed with them for Cappadocia—specifically to his father’s estate—where he spent his time in fasting and prayer. Pilate dispatched soldiers to behead him. They brought his head to Pilate, who handed it over to the Jews; they, in turn, buried it in a refuse heap.

Venerable Longinus the Industrious.