Saints Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon and Parmen are from the seven deacons elected in the Jerusalem Christian community in apostolic times, to deal with the care of the needy believers and for the Eucharistic evenings, when they broke bread in the likeness of Jesus Christ at the Last Supper, writes BTA.
Due to the increase in the number of Christians, the apostles found it difficult to take care of people, as this limited them in their spiritual activity. Then they said to all: "Brothers, take care to choose from among you seven persons of good name, filled with the Holy Spirit and with wisdom, whom we will place in this service, and we will constantly remain in prayer and in the service of the word" . So chose Stephen, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmen and Nicholas.
These helpers of the apostles were also called apostles, because their voluntary work was not limited to taking care of the material support of the church, but they were also involved in the preaching and liturgical activities. They were also called deacons, because this Greek word means a servant, an employee, and they truly devoted themselves entirely to the service of those in need and of the entire church community.
The first two of the deacons, Stephen and Philip, have separate days of celebration, and today the next four are celebrated. They later had different paths of apostolic activity. Prochorus accompanied St. John the Theologian to Asia Minor, and during his exile on the island of Patmos he recorded his Revelation. Nicanor was killed in the persecution of the Christians, soon after the killing of St. Stephen in Jerusalem. Timon preached in the city of Bostra (today in southern Syria), where he ended his life as a martyr. Parmen faithfully and diligently fulfilled the ministry entrusted to him in Jerusalem, where he ended his life quietly.