Saint Tryphon of Campsada

Saint Tryphon of Campsada (Greek: Τρύφων : Trúphōn; also spelled Trypho, Trifon, Triphon) was a 3rd-century Christian saint. He is venerated by the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches as a great martyr and holy unmercenary. Saint Tryphon was formerly celebrated jointly with Saints Respicius and Nympha on 10 November in the liturgical calendar of the Latin Church from the eleventh century until the twentieth, and remains on the liturgical calendar of the extraordinary form of the Roman rite. Saint Tryphon continues to be celebrated (separately) on 1 February [O.S. 14 February] on both the Orthodox liturgical calendar and the Roman Calendar of Saints. Saint Tryphon was born at Campsada in Phrygia (now Turkey), and as a boy took care of geese. His name is derived from the Greek τρυφή (tryphe) meaning "softness, delicacy". He acquired fame as a healer, especially of animals, and is considered one of the Holy Unmercenaries, particularly invoked on farms. During the Decian persecution he was taken to Nicaea about the year 250 and was tortured in a horrible manner. He was beheaded with a sword after he had converted the heathen prefect Licius. Fabulous stories are interwoven with his hagiography. His feast day is on 1 February [O.S. 14 February] in both the Eastern Orthodox Church and (now) in the Roman Catholic Church. He is greatly venerated in the Eastern Orthodox Church, in which he is also the patron saint of gardeners and winegrowers. In Serbia, North Macedonia and Bulgaria, St Tryphon is celebrated by vine growers. The celebrations are a fertility rite intended to encourage the growth of the vines, and it is also thought that human infertility can be cured on this day. Many Greeks continue this celebration and have special customs every year. In Russia, Tryphon is venerated as a patron of birds. In Russian icons of the saint, he is often shown holding a falcon, a reference to a miracle attributed to his intercessions.