Feast Day: June 23rd
& October 20th
The Life of Saint Artemius: One day, at the age of 12, Artemius accompanied his father into the fields. Without warning, there was a clap of thunder and a lightning bolt struck the boy, and he fell dead. This took place on June 23, 1545. Superstition about the bad omen of such an untimely death kept Artemius from being granted a proper funeral and burial. His body was placed in a small clearing in the woods, without being buried in the ground. A wooden shell was constructed over it, and a fence was built around it. In time the boy would no doubt have been forgotten, but it pleased God to reveal him to the world as a Wonderworker equal in honour to some of the great Ascetics…
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A Prayer
Troparion: By the command of the Most High, the sky was darkened with rain clouds, lightning flashed, threatening thunder clashed, and you gave up your Soul into the hands of the Lord, O Artemius most wise. Now as you stand before the Throne of the Lord of All, you grant healing unfailingly to those who come to you with faith and love, and you Pray to Christ our God that our Souls may be saved.
Saint Artemius was raised to love Christ, and by the age of 5, he began to distance himself from childish ways and he cultivated his Virtues and helped work on the farm with his father.
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When he was 12 years old, one day Saint Artemius was working in the fields with his father. Without any warning, a clap of thunder was heard and a lightning bolt struck Saint Artemius dead. The people at the time thought this was a bad sign and did not grant the boy a proper funeral or burial. His parents placed his body in a small clearing in the woods, and a wooden shell was built over it, and a fence around it.
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Thirty-two years later, a Deacon was gathering wild berries when he saw a light coming from the place where Saint Artemius’ body was, when he saw the body it looked as though Saint Artemius was sleeping. He called other people and they all took the body into the courtyard of Church of Saint Nicholas.
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Saint Artemius helped many people through his Prayers.
A certain Hilarion, a resident of Kholmogor, had lost his sight and become despondent. On the Feast Day of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, Righteous Artemius, holding a staff in his left hand and a Cross in his right, appeared to the suffering man. Making the sign of the Cross over him with the Cross, he said, “Arise, Christ heals you by the hand of His servant Artemius. Go to Verkola, bow down before his coffin, and relate everything to the priest and to the peasants.” The sick man was immediately healed.
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Saint Artemius is the Heavenly Patron of Righteous Youth.
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