St. Philemon the Apostle

A Christian of Colossae in Phrygia, taught by Paul, in whose house the church of the town met, and to whom Paul wrote the shortest of his letters. His slave Onesimus had wronged him and run away, met Paul in prison and was baptized by him, and Paul sent him back with the letter, asking Philemon to receive him "not now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved" (Philemon 16). The letter greets Apphia, by tradition his wife, and Archippus, "our fellow soldier". Tradition counts Philemon among the Seventy and says that he, Apphia and Archippus were martyred at Colossae under Nero. Feast: November 22.