St. Gregory, bishop of Neocesarea in Pontus, was famous for his holiness and learning, but still most famous for his signs and miracles. These were so numerous and outstanding that he was called Thaumaturgus, the Wonderworker. St. Basil compares him to Moses, the Prophets and the Apostles. By his prayer he changed the location of a mountain which was obstructing the building of a church. He dried up a swamp which was a cause of discord between two brothers. When the river Lycus was destructively flooding the fields, he drove his staff into the bank, where it grew into a green tree; and he compelled the river never afterwards to go beyond that spot. He very frequently cast out demons from the images of idols and from the bodies of men, and did many other wonderful things by which innumerable men were drawn to the faith of Jesus Christ. He also had the prophetic spirit of predicting future events. When he was about to depart this life, he asked how many unbelievers still remained in the city of Neocaesarea..When he was told that there were only seventeen, he thanked God and said, “There was just that number of believers when I became bishop.” His many writings, as well as his miracles, enlightened the Church of God.