Romanos of Cilicia
Our Venerable Father Romanos the Wonderworker of Cilicia
Venerable · Wonderworker · d. 5th century
Commemorated 9 February, 27 November — Repose near Antioch
Romanos of Cilicia was a hermit of the fifth century who, though a native of Rhoson in Cilicia, passed his ascetic life in a cave near Antioch. In strict fasting, wearing heavy chains beneath a hair shirt and keeping no fire in his cell for many years, he was granted by God the gift of wonderworking: he healed grave illnesses and obtained children for the barren through his prayers, so that he is invoked especially by the childless. He wore his gifts with humility, teaching that it is no great thing to work miracles but to keep God's commandments, and reposed in peace. He is commemorated on November 27 and again on February 9.
Romanos came from the city of Rhoson (Rhosos) in Cilicia, but the place of his ascetic labour was the country near Antioch on the Orontes, where, at the foot of a mountain, he built himself a small cell and took up the anchoritic life in the fifth century. His severity was remembered: he fasted strictly, wore heavy iron chains next to his skin beneath a garment of hair, and for many years let no fire be kindled in his dwelling, enduring cold as another form of ascesis.
For the holiness of his life God granted him the grace of miracles, and his fame drew crowds of the faithful to seek his blessing. He healed many who suffered from grievous illnesses, and through his prayers many barren women were enabled to bear healthy children — the gift for which he is chiefly remembered and invoked. The wonders did not make him proud; on the contrary, he would often repeat the warning of the Apostle Paul, "let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall" (1 Corinthians 10:12), and he taught that to work miracles is no great thing, but rather to do works of righteousness and to keep the commandments of God. After a long life pleasing to God he reposed in peace.
Feast and commemoration
November 27 (church date; Old Calendar civil December 10), within the Nativity Fast, with a second commemoration on February 9. The Church numbers Romanos among the saints whose intercession is sought for deliverance from childlessness, together with such others as Stylianos of Paphlagonia (November 26), Hypatius the Abbot of Rufinianus in Chalcedon, and the saints Theodore and John.
Iconography
No storable early image identified with Romanos of Cilicia has been found; he would be depicted as a venerable ascetic — bearded, in the monastic habit, sometimes shown with the iron chains of his ascesis — blessing or holding a scroll.
Disputed questions
- Not to be confused with the Martyr Romanus the Deacon of Antioch and the child Barulas (commemorated November 18), a martyr of the persecution of Diocletian: the two are different persons, distinguished by the epithet — the ascetic Romanos "of Cilicia," near Antioch, versus the deacon-martyr Romanus of Antioch.