Saint Antipas — patron of dentists
Healer of dental ailments, after whom the practice is named.
How the practice got its name
I must thank my mentor in paediatric and preventive dentistry, Dr Jovan Krstić, who in 2002 gave me an icon of St. Antipas — that is how I learned that dentists, too, have their own Patron. From that moment I knew which patron feast the practice would celebrate. We have celebrated it since the day the practice opened.
The original icon of St. Antipas is on Mount Athos, on the iconostasis of the Garden Church. The icon in the practice, following the Athonite model, was painted by Nina Vasiljević.
Who was Saint Antipas
The hieromartyr Antipas was Bishop of Pergamon, in Asia Minor, a disciple of Saint John the Theologian. He is mentioned in the Book of Revelation (2:13) as “Antipas, my faithful witness”. He lived in Pergamon, a city steeped in idolatry, where Christians were persecuted even by the people themselves.
Tradition holds that the pagan priests rose up against Antipas and demanded he renounce Christ. When he refused, testifying that the faith of Christ is the only true faith, he was cast into a red-hot bronze ox before the temple of Artemis. In his torment he prayed for his flock and for all the world, until his soul departed from his body. He suffered martyrdom in the year 92.
The faithful pray to Saint Antipas to intercede in the healing of all illnesses, and especially toothache — which is why he is the patron of dentists.
His feast is celebrated on 11 April by the church calendar, that is, 24 April by the Gregorian calendar.
Prayer to Saint Antipas
O most glorious hieromartyr Antipas, swift helper of all Christians in sickness! I believe with all my soul and every thought that the Lord has granted you to heal the sick, to give health to the infirm and to strengthen the disabled. Therefore I, infirm as I am, come to you as a grace-filled healer of the suffering, and I devoutly kiss your venerable icon, praying: through your intercession before the Heavenly King, obtain for me, in my pain, healing from the toothache that torments me; make me worthy of your protection, heal the wounds and injuries of my soul and body, grant me health and salvation and good progress in all things, so that, living quietly and peacefully in all piety and purity, I may be made worthy together with all the Saints to glorify the all-holy name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.