October 25 - Day of Andron the Stargazer: the Church remembers the martyrs of Probus, Tarakh and Andronicus

According to the national calendar, October 25 is the day of Andron Stargazer. The Orthodox Church on this date remembers three holy martyrs – Probus, Tarach and Andronicus, who suffered for their faith under the emperor Diocletian.

During the persecution of Christians, they were seized and brought to trial by the ruler. The torturers took turns asking Prov, Tarach and Andronicus what their names were. Each of them answered the same: “I am a Christian, and this name is dearer to me than that given by my parents.”.

The martyrs were subjected to cruel tortures, but they endured suffering and repeated that they did not fear death, because they would find eternal life in heaven. When the governor realized that he could not turn them away from the faith, he ordered the men to be thrown to the wild beasts. However, predators did not touch the saints. Then the tormentors executed them with swords. Christians secretly took the remains of the martyrs and buried them with honor.

Saint Androno (Andronik) in Russia was revered as a wise stargazer. The people said, “Andron can reach the sky with the sixth, draw stars with the scoop.” On the day of his memory, it was customary to watch the starry sky until midnight. It was believed that if you see a shooting star – it portends windy weather and a dry year.