The Apostle
Jason was from Tarsus (Asia Minor). He was the first Christian in the city. The Apostle Sosipater was a native of Patra, Achaia.
He is thought to be the same Sosipater mentioned in Acts 20:4. They both became disciples of Saint Paul, who even called them
his kinsmen (Rom 16:21). Saint John Chrysostom (Homily 32 on Romans) says that this is the same Jason who is mentioned in
Acts 17:5-9. Saint Jason was made bishop in his native city of Tarsus, and Saint Sosipater in Iconium. They traveled west
preaching the Gospel, and in 63 they reached the island of Kerkyra [Korfu] in the Ionian Sea near Greece.
There they built a
church in the name of the Protomartyr Stephen and they baptized many. The governor of the island learned of this and locked
them up in prison, where they met seven thieves: Saturninus, Iakischolus, Faustianus, Januarius, Marsalius, Euphrasius and
Mammius. The Apostles converted them to Christ. For their confession of Christ, the seven prisoners died as martyrs in a cauldron
of molten tar, wax and sulfur.
The prison guard, after witnessing their martyrdom, declared himself a Christian. For this they cut off his left
hand, then both feet and finally his head. The governor ordered the Apostles Jason and Sosipater to be whipped and again locked
up in prison.
When the daughter of the governor of Kerkyra (Korfu), the maiden Kerkyra, learned how Christians were suffering for
Christ, she declared herself a Christian and gave away all her finery to the poor. The infuriated governor attempted to persuade
his daughter to deny Christ, but Saint Kerkyra stood firm against both persuasion and threats. Then the enraged father devised
a terrible punishment for his daughter: he gave orders that she be placed in a prison cell with the robber and murderer Murinus,
so that he might defile the betrothed of Christ
But when the robber approached the door of the prison cell, a bear attacked him.
Saint Kerkyra heard the noise and she drove off the beast in the name of Christ. Then, by her prayers, she healed the wounds
of Murinus. Then Saint Kerkyra enlightened him with the faith of Christ, and Saint Murinus declared himself a Christian and
was executed.
The governor gave orders to burn down the prison, but the holy virgin remained alive. Then on her enraged father’s
order, she was suspended upon a tree, choked with bitter smoke and shot with arrows. After her death, the governor decided
to execute all the Christians on the island of Kerkyra. The Martyrs Zeno, Eusebius, Neon and Vitalis, after being enlightened
by Saints Jason and Sosipater, were burned alive.
The inhabitants of Kerkyra, escaping from the persecution, crossed to an adjoining
island. The governor set sail with a detachment of soldiers, but was swallowed up by the waves. The governor succeeding him
gave orders to throw the Apostles Jason and Sosipater into a cauldron of boiling tar. When he beheld them unharmed, he cried
out with tears, “O God of Jason and Sosipater, have mercy on me!”
Having been set free, the Apostles baptized
the governor and gave him the name Sebastian. With his help, the Apostles Jason and Sosipater built several churches on the
island, and increased the flock of Christ by their fervent preaching. They lived there until they reached old age.