Zeno of Corfu

Holy Martyr Zeno of Corfu suffered on the island of Corfu together with Eusebius, Neon and Vitalius, after being enlightened by the apostles Jason and Sosipater.

Jason came from Tarsus, the first Christian of the city, and Sosipater from Achaia; both had been disciples of the Apostle Paul, who called them "my kinsmen". Jason had been made bishop at Tarsus and Sosipater at Iconium. With the preaching they set out for the west and in the year 63 reached Corfu, where they built a church in the name of Saint Stephen and baptized many. The ruler shut them in a prison with seven robbers, whom they brought to Christ and who died in a cauldron of pitch, sulfur and wax. The prison keeper also confessed the faith and was beheaded, after his left hand and his feet had been cut off. The ruler's daughter, Kerkyra, confessed Christ and gave her jewels to the poor; after a bear attacked the robber Murinus, sent to her, the saint drove off the beast in the name of Christ and healed his wounds, and then brought him to faith. Murinus was killed, and Kerkyra, after her father set the prison on fire and she remained alive, was hanged from a tree, suffocated with smoke and shot with arrows.

After her death the ruler resolved to kill all the Christians on the island. Zeno, Eusebius, Neon and Vitalius were burned. The rest fled to a neighboring island, and the ruler, setting out after them, was swallowed by the waves. His successor put the apostles into boiling pitch, but seeing them unharmed he begged for mercy, was baptized with the name Sebastian and helped them to build churches.

Saint Zeno is commemorated on 11 May, in the new style, together with the apostles and the other martyrs.