Catholic Heroes . . . St. Pantaleon

By DEB PIROCH

I didn’t discover St. Pantaleon until I was in my late twenties. St. Pantaleon’s Romanesque church was situated about a 10-minute walk along quiet, cobblestoned streets not far from my little apartment in Cologne. My first full-time broadcasting position was in Germany and somehow, when it was time to find a church for Mass, I looked at a map and sought this one out. And returned there, again and again. The priest was good and orthodox, which already then was not that common, and by simple repetition I learned the German responses to the Mass.
Today I know that this is one of Cologne’s oldest churches in the entire city. Built on the remains of a Roman villa, the quiet seeps into you as you listen, and you can almost hear the voices of old from the tenth century emanating from the cool walls. I did not then know who St. Pantaleon was. As far as I can tell, there are no relics there of the saint.
And at EWTN in Alabama by chance when I worked there on my return for many years, we ended up covering Pope Benedict XVI’s visit with seminarians there at 2005 World Youth Day. Also, that good priest? He ended up coming to Alabama to film a German series with us. It was time to learn more about St. Pantaleon.
Pantaleon was a physician, and in the tradition of “Physician, heal thyself!” he is a good mentor for Germany and the world right now. Born of a Christian mother and a pagan father, he was keen on the healing arts but, after the death of his mother, abandoned his religion for a time. This story is how he came to rediscover religion again, healing in the name of God and yes, died for God, as well.
There is no doubt that he lived, despite the ancient dates of his life. He is the patron saint of physicians, midwives, of those suffering certain illnesses, and those undergoing torture. Later, when the Middle Ages underwent the Black Plague, he was one of the “14 Holy Helpers” turned to in need by penitents in prayer.
Born in Nicomedia, or modern-day Turkey, he rose to the level of personal doctor to Emperor Maximinianus, who ruled the Roman Empire along with Diocletian. While he was embracing his career and coming under stimuli, some bad, some good, a certain “Hermolaus” sought to influence Pantaleon for the better. He took him under his wing and taught him that Christ Himself is the only and ultimate physician. Through this influence, Pantaleon began to heal using both physical and spiritual means.
By asking those who had no relationship with God to form one, or to heal the rift with God and the sacraments as part of his treatments, sometimes that alone would heal the person. Other times he would go on to work miracles with God’s grace. The miracle most often cited is that of a paralytic who was cured. Many converted who witnessed the event, including his pagan father. Ironically, the emperor and those related to the establishment all put this down to mere “magic” and asked him to renounce such dross.
But renounce God he would not — most certainly not! For he had won souls back for God, including that of his own dear father. So Pantaleon was sentenced to death.
His name means “all-forgiving one” and he had to be, because it took seven tries before they finally was put to death.
At first, they went to torch his body and burn him, but their torches were mysteriously extinguished.
Then, an attempt was then made for him to sit in a cauldron of lead with Christ, who would appear to him in the person of Hermolaus, to give him courage and comfort. Neither was harmed, for this fire also went out.
Their enemies determined they would then tie Pantaleon to a boulder and cast his body into the sea. This they did . . . only the boulder decided to float!
We hear of martyrs sent to their deaths in the arena, to die being torn apart by wild beasts. So it was to have been with Pantaleon next, only the animals were so tame with him they licked his hands and feet.
Rather like what happened to St. Catherine, the evildoers next tied his body to a wheel, but it did no good either, for the wheel merely snapped and his body fell off it.
Getting really annoyed no doubt, the “last attempt” made was to behead him, only their swords became like wax, and had no slicing power anymore. Many who witnessed events like this converted because they could not believe the events happening before their eyes.
In the end, Pantaleon had to grant permission for them to martyr him, which he duly did, but they all wanted to be forgiven first. So, after everyone was forgiven all around, Pantaleon was tied to a tree and finally beheaded. With him was his friend, Haromolaus, and two brothers, Hermippos and Herocrates, and all these men were martyred along with our saint.
That, of course, is not the end. With God, there is no end. Pantaleon’s blood came forth with a somewhat milky consistence, we are told, and the blood was preserved with any relics and sent to Constantinople. These were later removed by Crusaders in the twelfth century, to keep them safe. From thence, relics were divided and went to various locations over time . . . including Ravello, Italy.
Many of you will have heard of liquefaction of blood associated with blood of St. Januarius. He, too, lived in the fourth century. Well, the blood of St. Pantaleon does the same. In Ravello the liquefaction does not always happen on the feast, and it could also be for a longer period of time than simply on the saint’s feast day. By the way, the relic is fixed and immovable, so there is no way to shake the container. The miracle could also decide not to happen if God so wills.
Why does our Lord share Himself as His Most Sacred Passion, again and again? There are many answers to this question, and they are just as numerous and mysterious as the reasons God asks us to remember the Mass in the unbloody recreation of His Sacrifice on the Cross. We do know that this is done for love, because He suffered to open to us the gates to salvation. When we ponder or pray to St. Pantaleon — perhaps this Advent even — let us ask him to help us cheerfully accept our cross and honor the Sacred Body and Blood and never take it for granted.
St. Pantaleon’s blood also ended up in a reliquary in Madrid, Spain. There the saint’s blood liquefied for long periods during the Spanish Civil War and the First and Second World Wars (Jednota February 27, 1980). No reasonable explanation that has ever been found for these events other than God is perhaps cautioning those who honor Him. But there is nothing one can do, except join our suffering with His.
Pantaleon’s feast day is July 27.