Saint Pionius of Smyrna
Also known as
- Pione
- Pionio
- Pionios
- 11 March
- formerly 1 February
Profile
Priest. Noted scholar and preacher. During the persecutions of Decius, Pionius and fifteen followers, hearing they were about to be arrested, spent the night of 22-23 February 250 in prayer; they were arrested in the morning at the end of Mass. They had put on their own chains and shackles to make it obvious that they were prisoners, and not going to aposticize. Every time he was taken into public, the courts, or anywhere out of his cell, Pionius preached faith to the Christians, civility to the pagans. Racked and torn with hooks to make him sacrifice to pagan gods; he refused. Martyr.
Born
- at Smyrna, Turkey
- nailed to a stake and burned alive on 12 March 250
MLA Citation
- “Saint Pionius of Smyrna“. CatholicSaints.Info. 15 July 2022. Web. 18 May 2024. <>