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Icons of St. Nicon (Nikon),
Bishop of Naples (3rd c.)
Feast: Mar. 23
St. Nicon was a pagan, and a soldier in the Roman army. Once he was
miraculously delivered after making the sign of the Cross (as his
Christian mother had explained to him) and vowing to be baptized. He
went to Chios, and was baptized and given monastic tonsure by Bp.
Theodosius of Cyzicum. After 3 days an angel disclosed that Nicon
should be made bishop and move to Sicily with the brotherhood of 190.
In this way they escaped an incursion of barbarians. Nicon visited his
mother, who rejoiced greatly to see her son not only a Christian, but a
monk and bishop. She fell asleep in Christ and was buried
rightly. Then 10 soldiers, former companions of the Saint, visited him,
believed in the Lord, and were baptized. They with the 190 monks
continued with Nicon to Sicily and settled at Gigia, a wilderness. In a
persecution under Quintilian the governor, all 199 monks were arrested
and beheaded, except for St. Nicon who was tortured. He was burnt with
fire, tied to the tails of wild horses and dragged, his tongue was cut
out; finally he was thrown from a high cliff and then beheaded. His
body, which had been left to be devoured by wild beasts, was approached
by a demoniac who was instantaneously healed. The delivered one
informed the bishop of Messina, who, with his clergy, buried the holy
bodies of all the martyrs. Holy Hieromartyr Nicon with thy companions,
pray to God for us!
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Icon: of unknown provenance; thanks to iconographer Raymond Mastroberte
for providing us with this image. It may be by the hand of Monk Michael
of Mt. Athos.
Final Icon: This is another version of the same image.
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