Castellus

Holy Martyr Castellus was one of the clerics of Pope Stephen of Rome, put to death by beheading in the year 257, in the time of the Emperor Valerian. The Church commemorates him on 15 August (new style). He is not commemorated in the present calendar of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Pope Stephen (253-257) fought zealously against the heresy of Novatus, who would not receive those coming from heresy. In the time of persecution, in hiding, he baptized many pagans, among them the tribune Nemesius, converted after the saint healed his daughter, Lucilla. Nemesius and his daughter were beheaded, and their steward Symphronius melted a golden idol by prayer in the temple of Mars, after which the tribune Olympius, his wife and son believed and were baptized. All were burned.

Then the twelve clerics of the pope were beheaded, among them Castellus, together with Bonus, Faustus, Maurus, Primitivus, Calumniosus, John, Exuperantius, Cyril, Theodore, Basil, Honoratus and Tertullinus. Finally, Pope Stephen himself was brought to Valerian, who condemned him to have his head cut off in the temple of Mars, but the saint's prayer brought down much of the temple. He hid in the catacombs, where he was killed by soldiers while teaching Christians.