Judas Cyriacus was a 4th-century bishop who lived in Jerusalem. According to tradition, he was a Jewish man who assisted Empress Helena in locating the True Cross at Golgotha. Following his conversion to Christianity, he was consecrated as a bishop and eventually martyred during the persecutions under Julian the Apostate. He is widely recognized as the patron saint of Ancona, Italy, and is commemorated in both Catholic and Orthodox traditions.
Life and legend
Local legends suggest that Cyriacus possessed ancestral knowledge regarding the location of the True Cross. After helping Helena find the relic, he was baptized and rose to the position of bishop. Some historical accounts describe him undergoing intense suffering alongside his mother, Anna, while facing the emperor Julian. His identity is sometimes linked to various names, including Kyriakos, which means "lordly" in Greek.
Veneration and relics
The saint is honored in Ancona, where his cathedral stands on a site once dedicated to Venus. The cathedral's tomb contains his body, which remains visible to visitors. Other relics were historically distributed, including his head, which was kept in a collegiate church in Provins. His feast days are observed on 4 May in the Catholic Church and 14 April in the Eastern Orthodox Church.