Saints Alive! | St. Valentine of Rome – My Daily Bread: A Reason2bCatholic blog

Saint-Valentine_Alsace_Bas-Rhin — Saint Valentine-Notre-Dame d’Altbronn chapel in Ergersheim Secondary altar(18th-19th century). Saint Valentine (Italian: Valentino, Latin: Valentinus) was a 3rd-century Roman Saint, commemorated in Christianity on February 14. From the High Middle Ages his Saints’ Day has been associated with a tradition of courtly love. He is also a patron saint of epilepsy. He was a clergyman in the Roman Empire who ministered to persecuted Christians. He was martyred and his body buried at a Christian cemetery on the Via Flaminia close to the Ponte Milvio to the north of Rome, on February 14, which has been observed as the Feast of Saint Valentine (Saint Valentine’s Day) since 496 AD.

Feast of Saint Valentine of Rome

(c. 270 A.D.)

St. Valentine of Rome was a priest who lived in Rome during the reign of Emperor Claudius II. Little is known of his life with certainty, except that he ministered to Christians who were persecuted and imprisoned for their faith, and died a martyr.

One account has it that the emperor banned all marriages and engagements in Rome, believing this was the reason Roman men were unwilling to serve in the army. Valentine defied this unjust decree and continued to perform marriages for lovers in secret. He was arrested, and while in prison he restored sight to his jailer’s blind daughter, causing the jailer and his entire extended household, forty-six people in total, to immediately convert to Christianity. Upon hearing this, Claudius ordered Valentine’s execution. St. Valentine left a farewell note for the jailer’s daughter, whom he had befriended, and signed it “From Your Valentine.” He was beheaded on February 14th.

St. Valentine is the patron of many causes including beekeepers, betrothed and engaged couples, lovers, love, happy marriages, and young people. He is also, though less widely known, the patron of epilepsy. His feast day is February 14th.

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