St. Mercurius was born around 225 A.D. in Cappadocia (Eastern
Asia Minor). His parents were converts to Christianity and they
called him "Philopater" or "Philopatyr" (a Greek name which
means 'Lover of the Father'). They reared him in a Christian
manner. When he grew to adulthood (at the age of 17), he
enlisted in the Roman army during the days of Emperor Decius,
the pagan. The Lord gave Philopater the strength and the
courage, and he gained a great reputation among his superiors as
a swordsman and a good tactician for many battles. They called
him Mercurius and he grew very close to the Emperor. When the
Berbers rose up against the city, Decius went out to fight them,
but when he saw how many they were, he became terrified. St.
Mercurius assured him saying, "Do not be afraid, because God
will destroy our enemies and will bring us victory." When he
left the Emperor, an angel appeared to him in the shape of a
human being, dressed in white apparel. The angel gave him a
sword saying, "When you overcome your enem