The Holy Virgin Martyress Fausta and with her, Euvilasias and Maximus

Commemorated on February 6

      The Holy Virgin Martyress Fausta and with her, Euvilasias and Maximus, suffered during the time of the persecution against Christians by the emperor Diocletian in the city of Kyzika (Mezium), between the years 305-311.
      Saint Fausta was raised by Christian parents and, early having been orphaned, she led a strict and virtuous life. The report about her as a Christian reached the governor, and the saint was sent to the 80 year old pagan-priest Euvilasias, to induce her into a renunciation from Christ. The saint bravely confessed her faith and was subjected to many cruel tortures, but strengthened by the Lord, she did not sense the pain. They locked her up in a wooden trunk, but the torturers got tired of trying to saw it and burn it in the fire: not only the holy martyress herself, but the truck also remained unharmed, guarded by Divine power. The pagan-priest Euvilasias was shaken by the evident and manifest power of God, he believed in the Saviour and confessed himself a Christian.
      The eparch Maximus was sent to make inquiry into the matter for the emperor, and he began to torture the old man who had come to believe in Christ. Euvilasias turned to Saint Fausta and asked her to pray for him, after which he bravely endured the tortures. They gave Saint Fausta over for devouring by vultures, but the creatures would not touch her. Then they pierced her with nails in the head and other parts of her body and finally, they threw her into a boiling cauldron together with Saint Euvilasias. During this time the martyrs prayed for their torturers.
      Having seen the faith and endurance of the saints and vouchsafed the heavenly vision, the eparch Maximus likewise was converted to Christ, and he prayed to God for the forgiveness of his sins, and having been thrown into the cauldron, in which Saints Fausta and Euvilasias suffered, he merited with them a martyr's end.