ON THE HOLY AFRICAN MARTYRS REVOCATUS, SATURUS, FELIX, SATURNINUS, GELASIUS.
CommentaryRevocatus, Martyr in Africa (St.) Saturus, Martyr in Africa (St.) Felix, Martyr in Africa (St.) Saturninus, Martyr in Africa (St.) Gelasius, Martyr in Africa (St.)
I. B.
The bare names of these champions are presented by certain ancient Martyrologies, with the time and manner of their contest omitted. Thus the ancient Roman Martyrology, which we call that of St. Jerome: the names of these Saints in the Martyrologies. "Of Revocatus, Saturus, Felix, Saturninus, Gelasius." The Venerable Bede in the standard edition has three: "And of the Saints," he says, "Felix, Fortunatus, and Saturninus." But we have omitted Fortunatus, because he was absent from two Bavarian manuscripts, though he is named in the Basel edition of 1563 and the Antwerp edition of 1564. Hermann Greven, the Carthusian of Cologne, in his Additions to Usuard: "On the same day, of Saturus, Avitus, Felix." We have omitted Avitus, perhaps intruded here from elsewhere, on account of the cognominal Avitus, Bishop of Vienne. There are many Felixes, Revocati, Saturnini, etc. in various places, but nowhere have we found them joined together. A manuscript from Reichenau indicates in which province they won their triumph, when it expressly explains concerning two of them: "In Africa, of Felix and Saturninus."
ON THE HOLY MARTYRS LEGONTIANUS AND DOMITIANUS AT CHIETI IN THE ABRUZZI.
CommentaryLegontianus, Martyr, at Chieti in the Abruzzi (St.) Domitianus, Martyr, at Chieti in the Abruzzi (St.)
I. B.
[1] Chieti is a city of the Marrucini in the Abruzzi, situated on a high hill, not far from the Aterno river, which is now called the Pescara, and flows into the Adriatic Sea seven miles from there. Chieti That city was ennobled by St. Justinus the Bishop, of whom we shall treat on April 18, and, within the memory of our grandparents, by Giovanni Pietro Carafa, who afterward became Pope Paul IV; whence the religious order of Clerks Regular founded by him was called the Theatines.
[2] In that city Saints Legontianus and Domitianus, Martyrs, are venerated on this day; these Saints are venerated. Their Acts are unknown. as writes Philippus Ferrarius in the General Catalogue of Saints, who cites the tables of that Church; but he says that the place, time, and manner of their martyrdom are unknown. Nor have we read anything about them elsewhere.