Honoring Saints Philemon, Apphia, Archippus & Onesimus

Commemoration of Saints Philemon, Apphia, Archippus & Onesimus — Apostles of the Seventy

Today the Church honors a household and a friendship transformed by the Gospel—four early believers whose lives reveal the power of love, reconciliation, and faithful service in Christ. Mentioned in the New Testament and remembered among the Seventy Apostles, they stand as living icons of what it means to be the Church.

Saints Philemon & Apphia

Philemon and his wife Apphia opened their home as a gathering place for the early Christian community. Their house became a church— a place of prayer, hospitality, and spiritual refuge.

They are remembered for:

• Their generosity and leadership
• Their courage during persecution
• Their love for the Apostle Paul
• Their willingness to welcome all believers as family

Their home reminds us that the Gospel flourishes wherever love makes space for others.

St. Archippus

Archippus, often called their son or close companion, was a fellow laborer in the Gospel. Paul exhorted him: “Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it.” (Col. 4:17)

He is honored as:

• A teacher of the faith
• A steadfast servant of Christ
• A shepherd who strengthened the early Church

His life calls us to embrace the ministries entrusted to us with courage and devotion.

St. Onesimus

Once a runaway slave, Onesimus encountered Paul in prison and became a beloved brother in Christ. Paul sent him back to Philemon not as property, but as family— a living testimony to the reconciling power of the Gospel.

Onesimus later became a bishop and a fearless preacher of the faith.

He reminds us that:

• No past defines us
• Grace transforms every story
• In Christ, strangers become brothers and sisters

A Prayer for Their Feast

Holy Apostles Philemon, Apphia, Archippus, and Onesimus, teach us to open our homes and hearts, to serve with courage, to forgive with generosity, and to live as one family in Christ.

May your witness inspire us to build communities of love, reconciliation, and faith.💕✌️🙏