Saint Ignatius Nurono (of Antioch).jpg
Saint Ignatius Nurono (of Antioch).jpg

Ignatius of Antioch (Mor Ignatius Nurono) Prayer Card – Patron for Courage in Suffering, Strength During Persecution & Deep Eucharistic Faith

$3.00

Saint Ignatius Nurono, known in Greek as Ignatius Theophoros and in English as Ignatius of Antioch, was one of the earliest bishops of the Church and a direct disciple of the Apostle John according to ancient tradition. He lived at the turn of the first and second centuries and died as a martyr in Rome around AD 107.

He is venerated across the Syriac Orthodox Church within the Oriental Orthodox family, the Eastern Orthodox Church, and the Universal Catholic Church as one of the Apostolic Fathers.

His feast is celebrated on October 17 in the Roman Catholic calendar, December 20 in the Eastern Orthodox calendar, and on corresponding commemorations within the Syriac tradition.

Ignatius did not die quietly.

He was arrested in Antioch during a wave of persecution under Emperor Trajan and transported under guard across Asia Minor to Rome. Along the way, he wrote seven letters to Christian communities, letters that remain among the earliest non-biblical Christian writings we possess.

In those letters, he did not plead for escape.

He begged believers not to interfere with his martyrdom.

He longed to be united fully with Christ.

People pray to Saint Ignatius Nurono today when facing suffering that feels unavoidable, when persecution or hostility toward faith becomes real, and when longing for deeper Eucharistic devotion. He understood what it meant to walk toward death with clarity rather than panic. He understood the tension between fear and surrender.

If you are carrying anxiety about future suffering, wrestling with questions about obedience to Church authority, or seeking deeper intimacy with Christ in the Eucharist, Saint Ignatius speaks directly into that space.

He teaches that suffering, when united to Christ, becomes offering.

This prayer card is created as a spiritual heirloom. It is meant to sit near your prayer corner or Bible as a reminder that faith is not abstract, that the Eucharist is not symbolic language, and that courage grows when the heart is fixed on Christ.

Each card is handmade in Austin, TX and created to order. We do not keep stock, because every prayer card is treated as a unique devotional offering. They are printed on museum-quality photo paper, not cardstock. Every card is made slowly, during prayer, with intentional reverence for the saint or holy image and for the person who will receive it. Names are lifted before Christ. Intentions are held carefully. Each piece is handled multiple times in prayerful silence, asking God for mercy and asking the saint to intercede for the soul it is being made for. This is not production work. It is devotional craftsmanship shaped with patience, care, and spiritual responsibility, because every soul and every prayer matters.

Saint Ignatius Nurono, known in Greek as Ignatius Theophoros and in English as Ignatius of Antioch, was one of the earliest bishops of the Church and a direct disciple of the Apostle John according to ancient tradition. He lived at the turn of the first and second centuries and died as a martyr in Rome around AD 107.

He is venerated across the Syriac Orthodox Church within the Oriental Orthodox family, the Eastern Orthodox Church, and the Universal Catholic Church as one of the Apostolic Fathers.

His feast is celebrated on October 17 in the Roman Catholic calendar, December 20 in the Eastern Orthodox calendar, and on corresponding commemorations within the Syriac tradition.

Ignatius did not die quietly.

He was arrested in Antioch during a wave of persecution under Emperor Trajan and transported under guard across Asia Minor to Rome. Along the way, he wrote seven letters to Christian communities, letters that remain among the earliest non-biblical Christian writings we possess.

In those letters, he did not plead for escape.

He begged believers not to interfere with his martyrdom.

He longed to be united fully with Christ.

People pray to Saint Ignatius Nurono today when facing suffering that feels unavoidable, when persecution or hostility toward faith becomes real, and when longing for deeper Eucharistic devotion. He understood what it meant to walk toward death with clarity rather than panic. He understood the tension between fear and surrender.

If you are carrying anxiety about future suffering, wrestling with questions about obedience to Church authority, or seeking deeper intimacy with Christ in the Eucharist, Saint Ignatius speaks directly into that space.

He teaches that suffering, when united to Christ, becomes offering.

This prayer card is created as a spiritual heirloom. It is meant to sit near your prayer corner or Bible as a reminder that faith is not abstract, that the Eucharist is not symbolic language, and that courage grows when the heart is fixed on Christ.

Each card is handmade in Austin, TX and created to order. We do not keep stock, because every prayer card is treated as a unique devotional offering. They are printed on museum-quality photo paper, not cardstock. Every card is made slowly, during prayer, with intentional reverence for the saint or holy image and for the person who will receive it. Names are lifted before Christ. Intentions are held carefully. Each piece is handled multiple times in prayerful silence, asking God for mercy and asking the saint to intercede for the soul it is being made for. This is not production work. It is devotional craftsmanship shaped with patience, care, and spiritual responsibility, because every soul and every prayer matters.

  • THE LIFE & STORY

    Ignatius was bishop of Antioch, one of the most significant Christian centers of the first century. Antioch was where believers were first called Christians. It was a city of cultural collision, theological debate, and growing persecution.

    As bishop, Ignatius shepherded a young Church still forming its identity.

    During Emperor Trajan’s reign, local authorities arrested Ignatius for refusing to renounce Christ. Instead of executing him locally, they sent him to Rome to face death in the arena, likely as public spectacle.

    Under military guard, he traveled through Asia Minor. Christian communities came out to meet him along the way. In Smyrna and Troas, he wrote letters to the Ephesians, Magnesians, Trallians, Romans, Philadelphians, Smyrnaeans, and to Polycarp.

    These letters reveal a soul already detached from fear.

    Ignatius wrote about unity around the bishop as a safeguard of truth. He spoke clearly about the Eucharist as the true Body of Christ. He warned against early heresies that denied Christ’s real humanity. He pleaded with believers to remain unified and obedient in love.

    Most strikingly, in his Letter to the Romans, he asked the Church not to rescue him. He described himself as “God’s wheat” to be ground by the teeth of wild beasts so that he might become “pure bread of Christ.”

    This was not morbid longing.

    It was mystical surrender.

    In Rome, Ignatius was thrown to wild animals in the arena, sealing his witness in blood.

    His death strengthened the Church.

    His letters became foundational texts for understanding early ecclesiology and Eucharistic theology.

    He remains one of the clearest voices from the generation immediately after the apostles.

  • MIRACLES & PATRONAGE

    Patron Saint Of:

    • Courage during persecution or suffering

    • Strength when facing unavoidable hardship

    • Deep Eucharistic devotion

    • Unity within the Church

    • Perseverance in faith under pressure

    Saint Ignatius is remembered less for posthumous healing miracles and more for the enduring spiritual power of his letters.

    During his lifetime, his words strengthened communities shaken by fear. His theological clarity helped guard early Christianity from doctrinal confusion. His martyrdom became a rallying testimony for believers facing similar threats.

    After his death, devotion to Ignatius spread rapidly throughout East and West. His intercession is sought especially by those preparing for difficult trials, those facing hostility toward their faith, and those seeking deeper reverence for the Eucharist.

    His miracles often appear as strengthened resolve, renewed clarity about Church unity, and peace in the face of suffering.

    He remains a companion to those walking toward difficult obedience.

  • PRAYERS

    (Authentic words from Saint Ignatius)

    From the Letter to the Romans

    “I am God’s wheat, and I am ground by the teeth of wild beasts that I may be found pure bread of Christ.

    Allow me to become food for the beasts, through whom it is possible to attain to God.

    I desire Him who died for us. I seek Him who rose again for our sake.

    It is better for me to die in Christ Jesus than to reign over the ends of the earth.”

    These words are preserved in his authentic epistles and remain among the most powerful early Christian expressions of martyrdom and Eucharistic union.

  • FAQ

    What is Saint Ignatius Nurono known for?
    He is known as an Apostolic Father, bishop of Antioch, and martyr who wrote influential letters on Church unity and the Eucharist while on his way to execution in Rome.

    When is his feast day?
    October 17 in the Roman Catholic calendar, December 20 in the Eastern Orthodox calendar, with corresponding commemorations in the Syriac tradition.

    Which Christian traditions venerate Saint Ignatius?
    He is venerated by the Syriac Orthodox Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, and the Universal Catholic Church.

    Why do people pray to Saint Ignatius for courage and Eucharistic faith?
    Because his letters show fearless surrender to Christ and deep reverence for the Eucharist as the true Body of the Lord. He is invoked by those seeking strength in suffering and clarity in Church unity.