Saint Fulvian (in Baptism Matthew), Prince of Ethiopia

The holy Apostle brought the Gospel of Christ to Syria, Media, Persia, Parthia, and finishing his preaching in Ethiopia with a martyr’s death. This land was inhabited by tribes of cannibals with primitive customs and beliefs. The holy Apostle Matthew converted some of the idol-worshippers to faith in Christ. He founded the Church and built a temple in the city of Mirmena, establishing his fellow traveler Platon there as bishop.

When the Holy Apostle was fervently entreating God for the conversion of the Ethiopians the Lord Himself appeared to him in the form of a youth. He gave him a staff, and commanded him to plant it at the doors of the church. The Lord said that a tree would grow from this staff and it would bear fruit, and from its roots would flow a stream of water. When the Ethiopians washed themselves in the water and ate the fruit, they forsook their evil ways and became gentle and good.

When the Holy Apostle carried the staff towards the church, he was met by the wife and son of the ruler of the land, Fulvian, who were afflicted by unclean spirits. healed them in Christ's Name. This miracle converted a number of the pagans to the Lord. But the ruler did not want his subjects to become Christians and cease worshiping the pagan gods. He accused the apostle of sorcery and gave orders to execute him.

They put Saint Matthew head downward, piled up brushwood and lit it. When the fire flared up, everyone then saw that the fire did not harm Saint Matthew. Then Fulvian gave orders to put more wood on the fire, and with boldness, he commanded to set up twelve idols around the fire. But the flames melted the idols and flared up toward Fulvian. The frightened Ethiopian turned to the Saint with an entreaty for mercy, and by the Martyr's prayer the flame went out. The body of the Holy Apostle remained unharmed, and he fell asleep in the Lord.

The ruler Fulvian deeply repented of his deed, but still he had doubts. By his command, they put the body of Saint Matthew into an iron coffin and threw it into the sea. In doing this Fulvian said that if Matthew's God would preserve the Apostle's body in the water as He preserved him in the fire, then this would be proper reason to worship this One True God.

That night the Apostle Matthew appeared to Bishop Platon in a dream, and commanded him to go with clergy to the shore of the sea and to find his body there. The righteous Fulvian and his retinue went with the bishop to the shore of the sea. The coffin carried by the waves was taken to the church built by the apostle. Then Fulvian begged the Saint to forgive him, after which Bishop Platon baptized him. As Bishop Platon was about to speak the Prince's name, a voice came from on high, saying: "Do not call him Fulvian, but Matthew."

Soon the new Matthew abdicated his rule and became a presbyter. Upon the death of Bishop Platon, the Apostle Matthew appeared to him and exhorted him to head the Ethiopian Church. After becoming a Bishop, the new Saint Matthew toiled at preaching the Word of God, continuing the apostolic work of his heavenly patron.