Tarcisius | |
---|---|
Martyr | |
Died | 3rd Century Rome |
Venerated in | Roman Catholic Church Eastern Orthodox Church Anglicanism |
Canonized | Pre-Congregation |
Major shrine | San Silvestro in Capite, Rome |
Feast | August 15 (Roman Martyrology) |
Attributes | Host, youth, wounds |
Patronage | altar servers and first communicants |
Tarsicius [1] or Tarcisius [2] was a martyr of the early Christian church who lived in the 3rd century. The little that is known about him comes from a metrical inscription by Pope Damasus I, who was pope in the second half of the 4th century.
The only positive information concerning this Roman martyr is found in a poem composed in his honour by Pope Damasus (366–384), who compares him to the deacon Saint Stephen and says that, as Stephen was stoned by a crowd, so Tarcisius, carrying the Blessed Sacrament, was attacked by a group and beaten to death. [3]
Nothing else definite is known concerning Tarcisius. Since Damasus compares him to Stephen, he may have been a deacon; however, a 6th-century account makes him an acolyte. [3] According to one version of the detailed legend that developed later, Tarcisius was a young boy during one of the fierce 3rd-century Roman persecutions, probably during the reign of Emperor Valerian (253–259). One day, he was entrusted with the task of bringing the Eucharist to condemned Christians in prison. [4] He preferred death at the hands of a mob rather than deliver to them the Blessed Sacrament which he was carrying.
He was originally buried in the Catacombs of San Callisto and the inscription by Damasus was placed later on his tomb. [3] Some time later his relics were moved to the San Silvestro in Capite church in Rome; however, excavations to find his relics were fruitless. [5] The relics are currently located in the Chapel of the Guardian Angel in the Church of San Domenico Maggiore in Naples, having been transferred there in 1646. A relic of the saint is also kept in the chapel of the Salesian Institute of Saint Tarcisius in Rome. His feast day is celebrated on 15 August; which is the solemnity of the Assumption of Mary. Therefore, his memorial is not included in the General Roman Calendar, but he is listed in the Roman Martyrology.
He is the patron saint of altar servers and first communicants. [6]
His story was greatly expanded by Cardinal Nicholas Wiseman, who portrays him as a young acolyte in his novel Fabiola, or the Church in the Catacombs . [4]
The municipality of Saint-Tharcisius in Quebec, Canada, is named after him, [7] as well as a 35 kilogram (77 lb) bell in the Stephansdom in Vienna, Austria.
A Catholic church on London Road, Camberley UK is dedicated to St Tarcisius.[ citation needed ]
The St. Tarcissus parish in Chicago, Illinois, was established in 1926, with St. Tarcissus Church dedicated in 1954. The parish was combined in 2020 with two other parishes on Chicago's north side to form the new St. Elizabeth of the Trinity Parish, with St. Tarcissus designated the parish church (and the other two churches relegated to "profane but not sordid use" in 2021 [8] ).
Saint José Sánchez del Río was nicknamed "Tarcisius".[ citation needed ]
The first five lines say that both Stephen (the protomartyr) and Tarcisius are equal in merit, and Stephen's death (as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles) is retold poetically. The last four lines can be translated as:
When an insane gang pressed saintly Tarcisius, who was carrying the sacraments of Christ, to display them to the profane, he preferred to be killed and give up his life rather than betray to rabid dogs the heavenly body.
Pope Damasus I, also known as Damasus of Rome, was the bishop of Rome from October 366 to his death in 384. It is claimed that he presided over the Council of Rome of 382 that determined the canon or official list of sacred scripture.
Pope Marcellus I was the bishop of Rome from May or June 308 to his death. He succeeded Marcellinus after a considerable interval. Under Maxentius, he was banished from Rome in 309, on account of the tumult caused by the severity of the penances he had imposed on Christians who had lapsed under the recent persecution. He died the same year, being succeeded by Eusebius. His relics are under the altar of San Marcello al Corso in Rome. Since 1969 his feast day, traditionally kept on 16 January by the Catholic Church, is left to local calendars and is no longer inscribed in the General Roman Calendar.
Pope Caius, also called Gaius, was the bishop of Rome from 17 December 283 to his death in 296. Little information on Caius is available except that given by the Liber Pontificalis, which relies on a legendary account of the martyrdom of Susanna of Rome for its information. According to legend, Caius baptized the men and women who had been converted by Tiburtius and Castulus. His legend states that Caius took refuge in the catacombs of Rome and died a martyr.
Saint Valentine was a 3rd-century Roman saint, commemorated in Western Christianity on February 14 and in Eastern Orthodoxy on July 6. From the High Middle Ages, his feast day has been associated with a tradition of courtly love. He is also a patron saint of Terni, epilepsy and beekeepers. Saint Valentine was a clergyman – either a priest or a bishop – in the Roman Empire who ministered to persecuted Christians. He was martyred and his body buried on the Via Flaminia on February 14, which has been observed as the Feast of Saint Valentine since at least the eighth century.
An altar server is a lay assistant to a member of the clergy during a Christian liturgy. An altar server attends to supporting tasks at the altar such as fetching and carrying, ringing the altar bell, helping bring up the gifts, and bringing up the liturgical books, among other things. If young, the server is commonly called an altar boy or altar girl. In some Christian denominations, altar servers are known as acolytes.
Felix and Adauctus (d. 303) were according to tradition, Christian martyrs who were said to have suffered during the Great Persecution during the reign of the Roman emperor Diocletian.
Saints Protus and Hyacinth were Christian martyrs during the persecution of Emperor Valerian. Protus' name is sometimes spelled Protatius, Proteus, Prothus, Prote, and Proto. His name was corrupted in England as Saint Pratt. Hyacinth is sometimes called by his Latin name Hyacinthus. The day of their annual commemoration is mentioned in the "Depositio Martyrum" on September 11, in the Chronograph of 354.
Martinian and Processus were Christian martyrs of ancient Rome. Neither the years they lived nor the circumstances of their deaths are known. They are currently buried in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.
The Basilica of Saint Sylvester the First, also known as, is a Roman Catholic minor basilica and titular church in Rome dedicated to Pope Sylvester I. It is located on the Piazza San Silvestro, at the corner of Via del Gambero and the Via della Mercede, and stands adjacent to the central Post Office.
Saint Juvenal is venerated as the first Bishop of Narni in Umbria. Historical details regarding Juvenal's life are limited. A biography of Juvenal of little historical value, written after the seventh century, states that Juvenal was born in Africa, was ordained by Pope Damasus I, was the first bishop of Narni, and was buried in the Porta Superiore on the Via Flaminia on August 7, though his feast day was celebrated on May 3. This Vita does not call him a martyr but calls him a confessor. The martyrologies of Florus of Lyon and Ado describe Juvenal as a bishop and confessor rather than as a martyr.
Nereus and Achilleus are two Roman martyr saints. In the present General Roman Calendar, revised in 1969, Nereus and Achilleus (together) are celebrated on 12 May.
The mythical Balbina of Rome, sometimes called Saint Balbina and Balbina the Virgin has been venerated as a virgin martyr and saint of the Catholic Church. As is made clear in the Catholic Encyclopaedia, it seems what follows has been nothing more than fable, not history.
The Catacomb of Priscilla is a large archaeological site on the Via Salaria in Rome, Italy, situated in what was a quarry in Roman times. The catacombs extend downward for over seven miles, making them one of Romes most expansive catacombs. it was used for thousands of Christian burials from the late 2nd century through the 4th century. The origin of the catacomb's namesake is highly contested and theorized. In one theory, Priscilla belonged to the Acilii Glabriones family and was the woman patron who donated the site. The family name can be found etched into the hypogeum.
Saint Hermes, born in Greece, died in Rome as a martyr in 120, is venerated as a saint by the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church. His name appears in the Martyrologium Hieronymianum as well as entries in the Depositio Martyrum (354). There was a large basilica over his tomb that was built around 600 by Pope Pelagius I and restored by Pope Adrian I. The Catacomb of Sant'Ermete on the Salarian Way is named after him.
Saints Marcellinus and Peter are venerated within the Catholic Church as martyrs who were beheaded. Hagiographies place them in 4th century Rome. They are generally represented as men in middle age, with tonsures and palms of martyrdom; sometimes they hold a crown each.
Early Christian inscriptions are the epigraphical remains of early Christianity. They are a valuable source of information in addition to the writings of the Church Fathers regarding the development of Christian thought and life in the first six centuries of the religion's existence. The three main types are sepulchral inscriptions, epigraphic records, and inscriptions concerning private life.
Quirinus of Neuss, sometimes called Quirinus of Rome is venerated as a martyr and saint of the Eastern Orthodox Church and Roman Catholic church.. His cultus was centred at Neuss in Germany, even though he was a Roman martyr.
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December 30 - Eastern Orthodox liturgical calendar - January 1
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