Vitalis of Milan | |
|---|---|
 Glory of St Vitalis, San Vidal, Venice | |
| Martyr | |
| Died | ~1st century or 2nd century |
| Venerated in | Catholic Church |
| Feast | 28 April |
| Attributes | with Saint Gervase and Saint Protase |
| Patronage | Ravenna and Granarolo dell'Emilia, Italy; Thibodaux, Louisiana |
Vitalis of Milan (Italian : San Vitale) was an early Christian martyr and saint.
His legend relates that Vitalis was a wealthy citizen of Milan, perhaps a soldier. He was married to Valeria of Milan. They are supposed to have been the parents of the (perhaps legendary) Gervasius and Protasius. [1]
According to legend, Vitalis was an officer who accompanied the judge Paulinus from Milan to Ravenna. He encouraged Ursicinus of Ravenna to be steadfast at his execution, and himself gave Ursicinus honorable burial. Vitalis was discovered to be a Christian. Paulinus ordered Vitalis to be racked and then thrown into a deep pit and covered with stones and earth. [2]
The date of his martyrdom is uncertain: some sources say that he was a victim of Nero; others, of Marcus Aurelius. He was martyred in Ravenna, but all else in the story is suspect. "Many scholars believe that the narrative is partly fanciful, recognising in the characters mentioned, other martyrs of the same name venerated both in Milan and Ravenna." [3]
Vitalis is honoured as the principal patron saint of the city of Ravenna. [4]
The feast day of Saint Vitalis is 28 April. [5] Churches are dedicated in honor of Saint Vitalis at Assisi, and Rome, in Italy and at Jadera (now Zadar) in Dalmatia (now Croatia), but by far the most famous church bearing his name is the octagonal Basilica of San Vitale at Ravenna, a masterpiece of Byzantine art, erected on the purported site of his martyrdom. [2] He is also the patron saint of Granarolo and Marittima in Italy.
The Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral recognizes Saint Vitalis as its patron. A Mass to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Cebu's elevation to an archdiocese and the feast day of Vitalis was held on 28 April 2009, with the Archbishop of Cebu Cardinal Ricardo Vidal presiding.
A statue of Vitalis is one of those on the colonnade of St Peter's Basilica. [6]
Saint Lawrence or Laurence was one of the seven deacons of the city of Rome under Pope Sixtus II who were martyred in the persecution of the Christians that the Roman emperor Valerian ordered in 258.
Sebastian was an early Christian saint and martyr. According to traditional belief, he was killed during the Diocletianic Persecution of Christians. He was initially tied to a post or tree and shot with arrows, though this did not kill him. He was, according to tradition, rescued and healed by Irene of Rome, which became a popular subject in 17th-century painting. In all versions of the story, shortly after his recovery he went to Diocletian to warn him about his sins, and as a result was clubbed to death. He is venerated in the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church.
Lucia of Syracuse, also called Saint Lucia was a Roman Christian martyr who died during the Diocletianic Persecution. She is venerated as a saint in Catholic, Anglican, and Eastern Orthodox Christianity. She is one of eight women explicitly commemorated by Catholics in the Canon of the Mass. Her traditional feast day, known in Europe as Saint Lucy's Day, is observed by Western Christians on 13 December. Lucia of Syracuse was honored in the Middle Ages and remained a well-known saint in early modern England. She is one of the best known virgin martyrs, along with Agatha of Sicily, Agnes of Rome, Cecilia of Rome, and Catherine of Alexandria.
Peter of Verona, also known as Saint Peter Martyr and Saint Peter of Verona, was a 13th-century Italian Catholic priest. He was a Dominican friar and a celebrated preacher. He served as Inquisitor in Lombardy, was killed by an assassin, and was canonized as a Catholic saint 11 months after his death, making this the fastest canonization in history.
Agathaof Sicily is a Christian saint. Her feast is on 5 February. Agatha was born in Catania, part of the Roman Province of Sicily, and was martyred c. 251. She is one of several virgin martyrs who are commemorated by name in the Canon of the Mass.
Vincent of Saragossa, the Protomartyr of Spain, was a deacon of the Church of Saragossa. He is the patron saint of Lisbon, Algarve, and Valencia. His feast day is 22 January in the Catholic Church, Anglican Communion, and the Eastern Orthodox Church, with an additional commemoration on 11 November in the Eastern Orthodox Church. He was born at Huesca and martyred under the Emperor Diocletian around the year 304.
Eusebius of Vercelli was a bishop from Sardinia and is counted a saint. Along with Athanasius, he affirmed the divinity of Jesus against Arianism.
Pancras was a Roman citizen who converted to Christianity and was beheaded for his faith at the age of fourteen, around the year 304. His name is Greek, meaning 'all-powerful'.
Apollinaris of Ravenna is a Syrian saint, whom the Roman Martyrology describes as "a bishop who, according to tradition, while spreading among the nations the unsearchable riches of Christ, led his flock as a good shepherd and honoured the Church of Classis near Ravenna by a glorious martyrdom."
The Basilica of San Vitale is a late antique church in Ravenna, Italy. The sixth-century church is an important surviving example of early Byzantine art and architecture, and its mosaics in particular are some of the most-studied works in Byzantine art. It is one of eight structures in Ravenna inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Its foundational inscription describes the church as a basilica, though its centrally-planned design is not typical of the basilica form. Within the Roman Catholic Church it holds the honorific title of basilica for its historic and ecclesial importance.
Gervasius and Protasius are venerated as Christian martyrs, probably of the 2nd century. They are the patron saints of Milan and of haymakers and are invoked for the discovery of thieves. Their feast day in the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church is 19 June, the day marking the translation of their relics. In the Eastern Orthodox Church and in the Eastern Rites of the Catholic Church, their feast takes place on 14 October (O.S.)/24 October (N.S.), the traditional day of their death. In Christian iconography their emblems are the scourge, the club and the sword.
Nabor and Felix were Christian martyrs thought to have been killed during the Great Persecution under the Roman emperor Diocletian. A tomb in Milan is believed to contain their relics.
Vitalis and Agricola are venerated as martyrs and saints, who are considered to have died at Bologna about 304, during the persecution ordered by Roman Emperor Diocletian.
Saint Vitalis may refer to:
Saints Primus and Felician (Felicianus) (Italian: Primo e Feliciano) were brothers who suffered martyrdom about the year 304 during the Diocletian persecution. The Martyrologium Hieronymianum gives under June 9 the names of Primus and Felician who were buried at the fourteenth milestone of the Via Nomentana (near Nomentum, now Mentana).
Petronius was bishop of Bologna during the fifth century. He is a patron saint of the city. Born of a noble Roman family, he became a convert to Christianity and subsequently a priest. As bishop of Bologna, he built the Church of Santo Stefano.
Ursicinus of Ravenna is venerated as a martyr by the Catholic Church. He was said to be a physician of Ravenna. His legend is connected with that of Vitalis, who is said to have encouraged the wavering Ursicinus after the physician was sentenced to death for his faith. After he was beheaded, Vitalis buried him in Ravenna.
Felicitas of Rome, also anglicized as Felicity, is a saint numbered among the Christian martyrs. Apart from her name, the only thing known for certain about this martyr is that she was buried in the Cemetery of Maximus, on the Via Salaria on a 23 November. However, a legend presents her as the mother of the seven martyrs whose feast is celebrated on 10 July. The Eastern Orthodox Church celebrates their martyrdom on 25 January.
Valeria of Milan, or Valérie, according to Christian tradition, was the wife of Vitalis of Milan and the mother of Gervasius and Protasius.
Maternus was Archbishop of Milan from c. 316 to c. 328. He is honoured as a Saint in the Catholic Church and his feast day is on July 18.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain : Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "St. Vitalis". Catholic Encyclopedia . New York: Robert Appleton Company. This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain : Wood, James, ed. (1907). "Vitalis, St.". The Nuttall Encyclopædia . London and New York: Frederick Warne.
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