St. Proclus of Constantinople

Proclus began his service to the Church at Constantinople as a reader and became a disciple and secretary of St. John Chrysostom. He was ordained deacon and priest, and later appointed to the see of Cyzicus. Since the people there would not receive a bishop appointed through Constantinople, he remained in the capital, where his preaching brought him considerable esteem.

During the controversy surrounding Nestorius, Proclus defended the confession that the Blessed Virgin is truly Mother of God. Butler singles out a sermon preached in 429 in the presence of Nestorius. Proclus later became bishop of Constantinople himself. His surviving sermons and letters chiefly concern the Incarnation, the mysteries of Christ, and the principal Christian feasts.

Butler also relates his care for the people during a period of severe earthquakes. Proclus went out with his clergy among those who had left their homes and prayed with them for mercy. The account associates his ministry with the use of the Trisagion, the prayer beginning “Holy God, Holy Strong, Holy Immortal.” The story of a child hearing the hymn from angels is presented as a traditional report, distinct from the bishop’s pastoral care in the disaster.