Image 1 of 1: Saint Pantaleon, color reproduction of a painting
Saints and feasts
St. Pantaleon
or Panteleimon, Martyr
St. Pantaleon was a physician and martyr remembered for joining healing skill to Christian compassion. He served the sick, gave to the poor, and remained faithful to Christ when that faith cost him his life.
The reading
ⓘ Butler source
Butler's Lives of the Saints, Volume III (July-August-September), July 27, St Pantaleon, or Panteleimon, Martyr, Christian Classics 1990, p. 192.
St. Pantaleon, also known as Panteleimon, is honored as a physician and martyr whose name came to mean “all-compassionate.” Tradition remembers him as a gifted doctor at Nicomedia, the son of a Christian mother, who returned wholeheartedly to the faith through the guidance of the priest Hermolaus.
He used his skill in the service of the sick, gave his goods to the poor, and confessed Christ when persecution made that confession dangerous. The traditional account tells of severe torments before he was finally put to death by the sword. Christians especially remembered the mercy with which he treated the suffering and sought his intercession in illness.
The detailed martyr acts come through later sources, while his ancient veneration in East and West is enduring. St. Pantaleon teaches that knowledge and skill become holy when they are offered to Christ in compassionate service.
Historical note
The detailed martyr acts are later, while his ancient veneration as a physician and martyr is firmly established.
Questions about this saint
What is St. Pantaleon the patron of?
He has long been honored as a patron of physicians and midwives. In Western devotion he is also counted among the Fourteen Holy Helpers, saints especially invoked in illness and other trials.
Are Pantaleon and Panteleimon the same saint?
Yes. Panteleimon is another form associated with the same martyr. The name expresses compassion, a theme closely connected with the Church’s remembrance of him as a physician.
How certain are the stories of his martyrdom?
The 1911 Catholic Encyclopedia distinguishes early testimony to his veneration from the much later, legendary accounts of his torments. His martyrdom is traditionally placed around 305; the elaborate details should not be treated as eyewitness history.
Source for these reading notes
The introduction and answers are Novena Regina editorial summaries of the older reference below. The brief life above has its own source citation at the top of the page.
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