St. Photini lived in first century Palestine. She was
the Samaritan woman who Christ visited at the well asking her for water. It was
she who accepted the “living water” offered her by Christ Himself after
repenting from her many sins (John. 4:5-42). She went and told her townspeople
that she had met the Christ. For this, she is sometimes recognized as the first
to proclaim the Gospel of Christ. She converted her five sisters (Sts. Anatole,
Photo, Photis, Paraskeve, and Kyriake) and her two sons (Victor and Joses).
They all became tireless evangelists for Christ. The apostles of Christ
baptized her and gave her the name of Photini which means “the enlightened
one.” She is remembered by the Church as a Holy Martyr and Equal to the
Apostles.
After Sts. Peter and Paul were martyred, St. Photini
and her family left their homeland of Sychar, in Samaria, to travel to Carthage
to proclaim the Gospel of Christ there. During the reign of Emperor Nero in the
first century, excessive cruelty was displayed against the Christians, St.
Photini lived in Carthage with her younger son, Joses. Her eldest son, Victor,
fought bravely in the Roman army against the barbarians, and was appointed
military commander in the city of Attalia (Asia Minor). Later, Nero called him
to Italy to arrest and punish Christians. Sebastian, an official in Italy, said
to Victor, “I know that you, your mother and your brother, are followers of
Christ. As a friend I advise you to submit to the will of the emperor. If you
inform on any Christians, you will receive their wealth. I shall write to your
mother and brother, asking them not to preach Christ in public. Let them
practice their faith in secret.” Victor replied, “I want to be a preacher of
Christianity like my mother and brother.” Sebastian said, “O Victor, we all
know what woes await you, your mother and brother.” Then Sebastian suddenly
felt a sharp pain in his eyes. He was dumbfounded, and his face was somber. For
three days Sebastian lay there blind, without uttering a word. On the fourth
day he declared, “The God of the Christians is the only true God.” 
St. Victor asked why Sebastian had suddenly changed
his mind. Sebastian replied, “Because Christ is calling me.” Soon he was
baptized, and immediately regained his sight. St. Sebastian’s servants, after
witnessing the miracle, were also baptized. Reports of this reached Nero, and
he commanded that the Christians be brought to him at Rome. The Lord Himself
appeared to the confessors and said, “Fear not, for I am with you. Nero, and
all who serve him, will be vanquished.” The Lord said to Victor, “From this day
forward, your name will be Photinus, because through you, many will be
enlightened and will believe in Me.” The Lord then told the Christians to
strengthen and encourage Sebastian to persevere until the end. All these
things, and even future events, were revealed to St. Photini. She left Carthage
in the company of several Christians and joined the confessors in Rome. At
Rome, Emperor Nero ordered the saints to be brought before him, and he asked
them whether they truly believed in Christ. All the confessors refused to
renounce the Savior. The emperor then gave orders to smash the martyrs’ finger
joints. During the torture, the confessors felt no pain, and their hands
remained unharmed.
Nero ordered that Sts. Sebastian, Photinus and Joses
be blinded and locked up in prison, and St. Photini and her five sisters,
Anatola, Phota, Photis, Paraskeva and Kyriake, were sent to the imperial court
under the supervision of Nero’s daughter, Domnina. St. Photini converted both
Domnina and her servants to Christ. She also converted a sorcerer, who had
brought her poisoned food that was meant to kill her. Three years passed, and
Nero sent to the prison for one of his servants, who had been locked up. The
messengers reported to him that Sts. Sebastian, Photinus and Joses, who had
been blinded, had completely recovered, and that people were visiting them to
hear their preaching. Indeed, the whole prison had been transformed into a
bright and fragrant place where God was glorified. Nero then gave orders to
crucify the saints, and to beat their naked bodies with straps. On the fourth
day, the emperor sent servants to see whether the martyrs were still alive.
Approaching the
place of the tortures, the servants fell blind. An angel of the Lord freed the
martyrs from their crosses and healed them. The saints took pity on the blinded
servants, and restored their sight by their prayers to the Lord. Those who were
healed came to believe in Christ and were soon baptized. In a rage, Nero gave
orders to flay the skin from St. Photini and to throw her down a well.
Sebastian, Photinus and Joses had their legs cut off, and they were thrown to
dogs, and then had their skin flayed off. The sisters of St. Photini also
suffered terrible torments. Nero gave orders to cut off their breasts and to
flay their skin. An expert in cruelty, the emperor readied the fiercest execution
for St. Photis: they tied her by the feet to the tops of two bent-over trees.
When the ropes were cut, the trees sprang upright and tore the martyr apart.
The emperor ordered the others beheaded. St. Photini was removed from the well
and locked up in prison for twenty days.
After this, Nero had St. Photini brought to him and
asked if she would now relent and offer sacrifice to the idols. St. Photini
spat in his face, and laughing at him, said, “O most impious of the blind, you
profligate and stupid man! Do you think me so deluded that I would consent to
renounce my Lord Christ and instead offer sacrifice to idols as blind as you?”
Hearing such words, Nero gave orders to throw St. Photini down a well, where
she surrendered her soul to God in the year 66.
CONVERSATION