Saint Parthenius, Bishop of Lampsacia, was born in the city of Melitopol (Asia Minor), where his father Christopher served as deacon. The young man did not learn to read and write, but he mastered the Divine Scripture well, often attending services in the temple. Parthenius was famous for his kind heart, and while fishing, he distributed the proceeds to the poor. Filled with the grace of God, Saint Parthenius, from the age of 18, in the name of Christ, treated illnesses, cast out demons and performed other miracles.
Having learned about the virtuous life of the young man, Bishop Philip of Melitopol educated him and ordained him a presbyter. In 325, during the reign of Constantine the Great, Archbishop Achillius of Cyzus installed Parthenius as bishop of the city of Lampsaca (Asia Minor). There were many pagans in the city, and the saint began to diligently spread faith in Christ, establishing it by the will of God with many miracles and healings of the sick.
People listened to Saint Parthenius and gradually began to move away from pagan beliefs. Realizing this, Saint Parthenius went to Tsar Constantine the Great with a request to give him the power to destroy idol temples and build Christian churches in their place. The king received the saint with honor, gave him a letter to destroy the temples and provided him with the means to build a temple. Returning to Lampsacus, Saint Parthenius ordered the destruction of the idol temples and the erection of a beautiful temple of God in the middle of the city.
On one of the ruined temples, St. Parthenius found a large stone convenient for the erection of the holy throne in the temple, and ordered the stone to be processed and taken to the construction of the church. The devil became embittered that a good stone had been taken from the sacred temple, and on his own he overturned the cart — with that stone killed the charioteer. But Saint Parthenius resurrected his assistant with deep prayer, and he also put to shame the devil, who wanted to hinder God's work.
The mercy of St. Parthenius was so great that he never refused to heal anyone — many townspeople and people wandering along the roads came to him, those who were burdened with bodily illnesses and possessed by unclean spirits. The people stopped turning to doctors, since all diseases, in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, were healed by Saint Parthenius.
By the great power of the Name of Christ, the saint cast out many demons from people, houses, and sea waters. When the saint cast out a demon from one person possessed by him since childhood, the unclean spirit began to ask the saint to give him another place to live. The saint promised to indicate such a place and, opening his mouth, said to the demon: « Come in and inhabit » in me. The devil, as if scorched by fire, cried out: «How will I enter the house of God?» — and disappeared into distant, desolate and impassable places.
By showing people the great power of faith in Christ, Saint Parthenius turned many idolaters to the true God. And the saint himself died peacefully; he was solemnly buried next to the Lampsacus Cathedral Church, in the chapel he himself built.