Saint Pantaleon
Christian martyr and saint (c.275-305)
Pantaleon (Greek: Παντελεήμων, romanized: Panteleïmon, lit. 'All-compassionate'; c. 275 – 305 AD) was a Christian martyr from Nicomedia in Bithynia who was executed during the Diocletianic Persecution in 305 AD. In Western Christianity, he is venerated as one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers, a group of saints especially venerated during the Late Middle Ages, while in Eastern Christianity he is regarded as one of the Holy Unmercenary Healers.
Life of Pantaleon
According to the martyrologies, Pantaleon was the son of a rich pagan, Eustorgius of Nicomedia, and had been instructed in Christianity by his Christian mother, Eubula; however, after her death he fell away from the Christian church, while he studied medicine with a renowned physician Euphrosinos; under the patronage of Euphrosinos he became physician to the emperor, Maximian (or alternatively Galerius).
He was won back to Christianity by Hermolaus of Nicomedia (characterized as a bishop of the church at Nicomedia in the later literature), who convinced him that Christ was the better physician, signalling the significance of the exemplum of Pantaleon that faith is to be trusted over medical advice.
Alphonsus Liguori wrote regarding this incident:
He studied medicine with such success, that the Emperor Maximian appointed him his physician. One day as our saint was discoursing with a holy priest named Hermolaus, the latter, after praising the study of medicine, concluded thus: "But, my friend, of what use are all thy acquirements in this art, since thou art ignorant of the science of salvation?"
By miraculously healing a blind man by invoking the name of Jesus over him, Pantaleon converted his father, upon whose death he came into possession of a large fortune. He freed his slaves and distributed his wealth among the poor. Envious colleagues denounced him to the emperor during the Diocletian persecution. The emperor wished to save him and sought to persuade him to apostasy. Pantaleon, however, openly confessed his faith, and as proof that Christ was the true God, he healed a paralytic.
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