Commemorated on September 15
Nicetas was a Goth by birth. He was a disciple of Saint Theophilus, Bishop of the Goths, who participated in the First Ecumenical Council (Nicea 325).
When the Gothic prince Athenarik began to torture Christians, St. Nicetas stood before the prince and denounced him for the paganism and inhumanity. Subsequently harshly tortured, Nicetas confessed his faith in Christ even more strongly, and prayed to God with thanksgiving. His mind was unceasingly raised up to God, and on his breast under his robe he bore an icon of the Most-holy Theotokos with the Pre-eternal Christ Child standing and holding the Cross in HIs hands.
St. Nicetas carried this icon because the Holy Theotokos had appeared to him and comforted him. Finally the torturer threw the soldier of Christ into the fire, where the holy martyr breathed his last, but his body remained untouched by the fire.
His companion Marianus took his body from the land of the Goths (Wallachia and Bessarabia) to the town of Mopsuestia, in Cilicia. There he built a church dedicated to Saint Nicetas and placed the miracle-working relics of the martyr in it. Saint Nicetas suffered and was glorified in the year 372.
Troparion & Kontakion
Troparion — Tone 3
You defeated error and triumphed in martyrdom, / Nicetas, namesake of victory; / for you conquered the ranks of the enemy / and ended your contest by fire. / Pray to Christ our God to grant us His great mercy.
Kontakion — Tone 2
You stood firm and defeated delusion / and have received your martyr’s crown, Nicetas, namesake of victory; / you are rejoicing with the angels, / together with them you are praying unceasingly to Christ God for us all.