Cross of San Bartolomé
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San Cipriano meets Santa Justina
San Cipriano and Santa Justina in an icon of Eastern Christianity.
When he turned thirty, Cipriano returned to Antioquia, his hometown, where he worked as a sorcerer, reaching great notoriety among the population. In Antioch he retired to a cave, where it is said that, through sacrifices and dark rituals, he managed to get in touch with Lucifer, who dictated much of what he would record in the manuscripts that would later form his grimoire.
One day, while Cipriano left the temple of Mercury, he was approached by a young man named Agladio (or Agladas, according to De Sancto Cipriano), who asked him to grant him the love of a beautiful young virgin, named Justina, daughter of Edesio and Cledonia. Justina was a Christian, and she had made her parents convert to Christianity as well. Cipriano promised Agladio that he would soon get Justina's love. However, after seeing the girl, he was captivated by her beauty and wanted her only for himself.
After much trying without success, Cipriano asked the demons what was the reason why their spells did not get the girl's love, and then Lucifer in person told him that the reason was Justina's faith in Jesus Christ, and the mark of the Cross of San Bartolomé that she had in one hand.
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After knowing the cause of his failure, Cipriano decided to convert to the faith of Christ. Justina welcomed him sweetly and placed him under the tutelage of Bishop Eusebio. Soon, Cipriano became a deacon, priest and finally bishop of Antioch.
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