FILIPPO DIACONO. — The second of the seven deacons ordained by the Apostles (Act. 6:9), also called F. the evangelist (Act. 21:8) to distinguish him from the apostle of the same name. He evangelized Samaria, performing many miracles; there he converted and also baptized Simon Magus (Act. 8:4–13). On the road descending from Jerusalem to Gaza, he instructed and baptized the Ethiopian eunuch of Queen Candace; then, having been transported by the Spirit of the Lord to Azotus, and evangelizing all the cities through which he passed, he arrived at Caesarea (Act. 8:26–40).
At Caesarea Maritima (in A.D. 58) he received Paul, who was returning from his third apostolic journey. Luke relates: «When we had entered the house of Filippo, the evangelist, who was one of the seven, we stayed with him. He had four virgin daughters who prophesied» (Act. 21:8). A certain Cato, cited by Eusebius (Hist. eccl., 3, 31; PG 20, 281), attributing these four daughters to the apostle of the same name, confused the persons. In the house of F., where Paul stayed «many days», ACAB (v.) «took Paul’s belt, tied his own feet and hands with it», announcing by that symbolic action Paul’s imprisonment in Jerusalem (Act. 21:10 ff.).
A Greek menologion cited by R. A. Lipsius (Die apocryphen Apostelgeschichten, III, Brunswick [1889–90], p. 3) gives these names to the four daughters of F. d.: Ermione, Ca-ritina, Isaide, Eutichiana. An ancient tradition holds that F. d. became bishop of Tralle and died there a natural death (Acta SS. Iunii, I, Paris 1862, pp. 608–10). Other martyrologies prefer Caesarea. S. Girolamo informs us (Ep., 180: PL 22, 82) that Paul visited at Caesarea the house of F. and the rooms of his four daughters. The feast of s. F. d. is celebrated on 6 June.