Sts. Cosmas and Damian

Their story

Cosmas and Damian were twin brothers who lived in the late third century, probably in Cilicia, in what is now southern Turkey. Very little is known for certain about their lives, but they were honored from very early times in both East and West. According to tradition, they were physicians who treated the sick without charging any fee, and so they were called "the holy unmercenaries," those who would not take money. By caring for the sick freely, the brothers brought many people to faith in Christ, who heals both body and soul. During the persecution of the emperor Diocletian they were arrested and refused to give up their faith. After surviving several attempts to kill them, according to the stories, they were beheaded. Legends later told of their miraculous healings after death. Devotion to Cosmas and Damian spread widely. In the sixth century a pope built a church in their honor in the Roman Forum, decorated with a magnificent mosaic that still survives. Their names are among the saints of the First Eucharistic Prayer. They are patrons of doctors, surgeons, nurses and pharmacists, and a reminder that caring for the sick is a way of serving Christ.