Ss Timothy and Titus were two of the most beloved and trusted disciples of St. Paul, whom they accompanied in many of his journeys. St Timothy was converted to Christianity by St Paul and he become a partner, assistant and close friend of Paul. Timothy was head of the Church in Ephesus and the recipient of two canonical letters from St Paul. He was martyred in 97 for opposing the worship of Dionysius. St Titus was referred by Paul as “my true child in our common faith”. Titus successfully reconciled the Christian community there with Paul, its founder. He served as the first Bishop of Crete. He was buried in Cortyna (Gortyna), Crete; his head was later translated to Venice during the invasion of Crete by the Saracens and was enshrined in St. Mark’s, Venice, Italy.
