St. Proclus, Archbishop of Constantinople, devoted all his time from a young age to prayer and the study of the Holy Scriptures. The Lord honored him with the great happiness of being a disciple of St. John Chrysostom (+ 407, November 13), who ordained him first to the rank of deacon and then to the rank of presbyter. Saint Proclus witnessed the appearance of the Apostle Paul to Saint John Chrysostom. Saint Proclus received a deep knowledge of the Holy Scriptures from his teacher and learned to express his thoughts in a perfect form.
After the exile and death of Saint John Chrysostom, Saint Proclus was ordained bishop of the city of Cyzicus by the Holy Patriarch of Constantinople Sisinius (426-427), but under the influence of Nestorian heretics, the flock expelled their saint. Then Saint Proclus returned to the capital and preached the Word of God in the churches of Constantinople, strengthening the listeners in the Orthodox faith, denouncing the pious heretics. After the death of St. Patriarch Sisinius, St. Proclus was elevated to archbishop. After becoming Patriarch of Constantinople, he ruled the Church for twelve years (434-447). Through the efforts of St. Proclus, the relics of St. John Chrysostom were transferred from Koman to Constantinople under the Holy Tsar Theodosius II (408-450).
During the patriarchate of Proclus, the empire was struck by a devastating earthquake that lasted for several months. In Bithynia, the Hellespont, and Phrygia, cities collapsed, rivers disappeared from the face of the earth, and devastating floods occurred in previously waterless places. Constantinople residents, led by the patriarch and the emperor, left the city and prayed for an end to the unprecedented disaster. During one prayer service, a boy was lifted into the air by an invisible force from the crowd and carried away to a height where the human eye could no longer see him. Then, unharmed, the boy was lowered to the ground and told that there, on high, he had heard and seen the Angels, praising God, singing: "Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal." All the people sang the Trisagion prayer, adding to it: "Have mercy on us" – and the earthquake stopped. The Orthodox Church sings this prayer during divine services to this day.
The Constantinople flock loved their patriarch for his ascetic life, for his concern for the underprivileged, and for his sermons. Many of the saint's works have survived to our days. The most famous are two Words of the saint directed against Nestorians in praise of the Mother of God and four Words on the Nativity of Christ, expounding the Orthodox doctrine of the Incarnation of the Son of God. The work of the holy Patriarch in establishing deanery in all church affairs has gained universal respect. Surrounded by love and honor, Proclus departed to the Lord at an advanced age (+ 446-447).