His story
His Life says he was born at Lampsacus in Phrygia, in Asia Minor, and from his youth healed the sick and cast out evil spirits; once his prayer turned a plague of locusts away from his village and saved it from hunger. He freed a daughter of the emperor Gordian from an evil spirit and asked nothing in return but faith in Christ. Arrested for preaching Christ under the emperor Decius, he was tortured, and before his execution at Nicaea in AD 250 he asked the Lord to bless all who would call on his name for help. He died just as the sword was raised over him.
His feast day
1 February: His feast in the Orthodox churches on the new calendar. Those on the old calendar keep it on 14 February.
Why people ask St Tryphon
Animals and pets
In Russia he is the patron of birds, and the story is told of the Tsar’s lost falcon found through his prayers.
Finding a job
The Russian service for people looking for work, approved in 2023, asks his prayers too.
Where it comes from
Who wrote it
No one knows who wrote this Byzantine hymn for a martyr. Russian churches sing it with his name on 1 February.
In Church Slavonic
Му́ченик Твой, Го́споди, Три́фонво страда́нии свое́м вене́ц прия́т нетле́нный от Тебе́, Бо́га на́шего:
име́яй бо кре́пость Твою́,мучи́телей низложи́,сокруши́ и де́монов немощны́я де́рзости.
Того́ моли́твамиспаси́ ду́ши на́ша.
From Минея, февраль (Moscow, 2002), 1 February, as printed by Azbyka.
