Rufinus of Caesarea

Holy Martyr Rufinus of Caesarea suffered together with the Holy Martyr Codratus of Nicomedia, with Saturninus and others, in the time of the persecution of the emperor Decius (249-251) and of his successor Valerian (253-259).

Codratus came from a noble family and had great wealth, which he used for his Christian brothers imprisoned for the faith. When the proconsul Perennius, the envoy of Decius, arrived at Nicomedia, Codratus presented himself of his own will to strengthen by his resolve the courage of his imprisoned companions. Perennius first tried to turn him from Christ with promises of gifts and honours, then, seeing the futility, threw him into prison and ordered him laid with his back on small nails and crushed with a great stone. Setting out for Nicaea, the proconsul ordered all the imprisoned Christians led after him, among them Codratus. Arriving in the city, Codratus asked to be taken to the pagan temple and, as soon as his hands and feet were untied, he rushed at the idols and overturned and shattered them. He was subjected to torments; he stood firm and strengthened the other martyrs, whose wounds were burned with lit candles. In the time of the torments a luminous cloud enveloped them, while the pagans remained in darkness; in the silence the singing of angels glorifying God was heard. Many of those present at once confessed themselves Christians. Perennius ascribed the deeds to sorcery and ordered the new chosen ones of God taken to prison.

The martyrs went after the proconsul to Apameia, Caesarea, Apollonia and the Hellespont, where they were tormented to make them renounce. Codratus was tied in a sack full of poisonous creeping things and thrown at night into a deep pit; in the morning all saw with wonder that he was unharmed. When he was beaten without mercy, two noble men, Saturninus and Rufinus, were filled with pity for the martyr; it was noticed, and Saturninus and Rufinus were beheaded. Perennius subjected Codratus to ever harsher torments, but could not break his spirit. The saint lost his strength and could hardly walk. The proconsul asked him one last time to renounce, and he answered that from infancy he acknowledged only one God, Christ. The proconsul ordered a fire lit and he be thrown on a heated grill. Making the sign of the cross, Codratus lay down on the heated bed as on a soft bed and came out unharmed from the flames. The proconsul then ordered his head cut off.

St Rufinus is commemorated on 23 March, in the new style.