Saint Philip of Agira
Born	1st Century or 5th century, Thrace
Venerated in	Roman Catholic Church
Feast	12 May
Patronage	Agira, Sicily and Ħaż-Żebbuġ, Malta, United States Army Special Forces

Saint Philip of Agira (also Aggira, Agirone, Agirya or Argira) was an early Christian confessor. There are two parallel stories of this saint which give to possible dates in which this saint lived. Traditionally, thorugh the writings of St. Athanasius, it is maintained that Philip of Agira is a saint of the 1st Century, born in the year 40 AD in Cappadocia (modern Turkey) and died on the 12th of May, 103 AD.

Another recent study says to have been born of a Syrian father in Thrace on an unknown date in the 5th century whose elder brothers drowned whilst fishing. Philip was known as the "Apostle of the Sicilians", as he was the first Christian missionary to visit that island. Nothing else can be certainly stated about him.

His feast day is May 12 and he is, naturally, patron saint of the city of Agira, Sicily and of the city of Ħaż-Żebbuġ, Malta. Philip is one of the patron saints of the United States Army Special Forces.^[1]

[edit] References

Il portale di Agira History, life, miracles of St. Philip of Agira