Parmenas the Apostle

ON S. PARMENAS THE APOSTLE, ONE OF THE FIRST SEVEN DEACONS.

Toward the end of the first century.

[3] The severity of the edict terrified the people, and out of fear of punishment, the entire flock abandoned their holy Pastor. One young woman alone was found, Messalina, worthy of eternal praise, who could be restrained by no fear from steadfastly bearing witness to her gratitude, counting it gain if she herself should lose her life while sustaining and preserving the life of her teacher and Pastor. And in order to fortify her spirit more surely for this perilous contest, she prayed to God, distrusting her own weakness, and implored divine aid in the church called the Palatine, built by Felicianus and dedicated in honor of S. John the Baptist. Here Messalina, prostrate on the ground with many tears and sighs, prayed to God that He would be present to the holy Bishop and to her; and that what the frailty of her sex and the weakness of her age would impede, He Himself would, with His accustomed kindness, strengthen, and give her courage equal to the undertaking she contemplated and the danger she was approaching. she visits and refreshes him with food: Then, as if having drawn confidence from heaven, she feared neither arms nor the fury of the tyrant; with intrepid spirit she entered the prison daily and brought food to him by whom she herself had been nourished with spiritual food unto eternal life.

[4] Who could express in words those holy and divine conversations which those holy and innocent souls exchanged with one another at that time and place? Messalina was moved to pity by the torments and afflictions with which she saw her teacher and pastor racked, bearing witness with tears to the affection of a most obedient disciple, not without a certain holy envy. eager for martyrdom, She earnestly besought that this favor be obtained for her from God, that she too might fall as a victim for the amplification of divine honor: she was not indeed worthy of that degree of honor, yet she asked nothing alien to divine goodness. She was inflamed with a vehement desire for martyrdom, stimulated by the recent example of the most unconquered Virgins -- Cecilia, Agatha, Apollonia, and Victoria: for since they had attained a glorious victory through the cruelty of the same tyrant, she too prayed that the same might be bestowed upon her by God, whether through the advocacy and patronage of her most excellent teacher.

[5] The apostolic spirit of Felicianus could not but exult with holy joy while he contemplated the unconquered spirit and the fervent charity of his disciple, struggling forth from her inmost heart. First he gave her thanks for her kind devotion toward him, then he admonished her to follow constantly and cheerfully the standard of virtue to which she had hitherto directed her life: fortified by his blessing, he foresaw in his mind that she was close to victory and triumph. While the holy old man said these things, giving thanks to God, he bathed his face with abundant tears. Then with fatherly affection he blessed the most holy virgin. She, animated by his blessed prayer and most holy counsels, perceived such strength added to her spirit that she not only was free from all fear but also despised all the assaults of hell. She offers herself to God. Leaving the prison, she returned to the Palatine basilica and conceived the same prayers, and dedicated herself as a victim to God, counting it the greatest favor if she could in exchange shed her blood and pour out her life for Him who, in order to vindicate her unto the liberty and hope of heavenly life, had Himself ended His own life with bitter torment.

CHAPTER II.

The martyrdom of S. Messalina. The discovery of her relics.

[6] Since she repeatedly went to the prison in this manner, she did not long escape the notice of the watchful guards, who, as soon as they discovered her offering and providing food to the Bishop, immediately laid hands on her: She is arrested: but first, with cunning and deceitful malice, they attempted to soothe her with blandishments and promises and to call her away from the Christian religion to the worship of the images of the gods. But she held firm and strong in what she had well begun, spurned promises, disregarded threatened punishments, she scorns blandishments and threats: and kneeling on the ground she stretched forth her neck, offered herself as a victim to her most beloved spouse Jesus, repeated His name joyfully and sweetly, and fearlessly professed her pledged faith to Him.

[7] This spectacle might have softened the hearts of the lictors, had they not been harder than any stone and more savage than any beast: she is beaten to death with clubs, but driven on by an evil spirit, seized by a new fury, they inflicted many and various injuries and torments upon her, and at last, while she knelt with eyes fixed on heaven, immovable, they beat her with knotted and stiff clubs in a barbarous manner for so long that, having cruelly mangled her body, they drove out her most innocent soul, which flew victorious into the bosom of her heavenly Spouse, to receive the eternal reward of faith. This was the first victim slaughtered for Christ at Foligno; the first blood then shed made the native soil fruitful for martyrdoms: Felicianus followed, and others. These things took place about the year of Christ 254, around the 23rd day of January, when Messalina was just eighteen years old.

[8] Felicianus was present during this long and fierce contest, and weeping copiously he both pitied the labors of the Virgin and congratulated her on the mournful and at the same time glorious outcome. And since he could bring her no other aid, while S. Felicianus exulted, with all the effort of his soul he secured divine help for her, repeatedly extending his sacred right hand to bless her. And that most courageous Virgin truly deserved that he should bless her, who, by a singular example worthy of celebration with immortal fame, showed that although a pastor ought to feed and protect his flock even at the cost of his own life, yet sometimes even the sheep themselves, when it so pleases God and strength is supplied to them from heaven, can repay the same service in return to their pastor.

[9] The triumphal body of the Martyr was then carried away secretly, and the Christians buried it with veneration in the Palatine church, which is now the Cathedral, dedicated in the name of S. Felicianus: where it was distinguished by various miracles from God. The body was buried. That is worthy of eternal memory and admiration: the hair of the Virgin, although it was cut thirteen hundred and seventy-three years ago, as many as have now passed since her martyrdom, is preserved and displayed annually to the people together with other sacred relics of the Saints, (the hair preserved) still golden, beautiful, and vivid, as if it still adorned the head of the living Messalina.

[10] The body, guarded in ancient times with the highest veneration, was afterwards -- whether to remove it from the injuries of wars, or for some other reason, lest anyone might steal it -- long hidden: long hidden, only the tradition of the elders established in what place it had been laid. At last it was brought forth from its hiding place and restored to its former honors and the light of the Church, through the efforts of Antonio Bizzoni, Bishop of Foligno, who ordered a certain priest of this city to dig up with all diligence the place where rumor held the sacred treasure to be concealed, and to search it out. At last, after prolonged labor, discovered, amid public joy and congratulation, the body of the glorious Virgin was found, in the year 1599, on 13 December, the sacred feast of S. Lucy, Virgin and Martyr, in a small and elegant chapel, within a marble tomb, on which was inscribed in ancient characters: HERE BENEATH LIES THE BODY OF SAINT MESSALINA.

[11] As soon as the sacred relic was uncovered, the honor of the Martyr was distinguished by heavenly wonders. not without miracles: For a most sweet and altogether unusual fragrance was exhaled, and again when the casket was publicly opened. And a certain stonemason, a worker in this holy enterprise, was suddenly healed of a long-standing wound on his shin. Demons also, in the possessed who had been dragged to the sacred relics, testified with unusual wailing and outcry that a new torment was being inflicted upon them in that place by the power of the sacred relics.

[12] Since therefore the people of Foligno were obtaining very many favors from God through the patronage of Messalina day by day, they petitioned their Bishop Porfyrio Feliciani, Veneration decreed for her: who still happily presides over this Church, to see to it that the ancient honors and full veneration should be restored to the Virgin. The Bishop ordered the case to be examined and conducted legitimately: and when it was clearly established that public and solemn veneration had always been paid to her from ancient times, he decreed that the same should be restored to her. This was done on 19 January 1613.

[13] When that decree of the Bishop, sought by very many public and private prayers, was promulgated, a procession was held, and other honors, besides other testimonies of unusual joy and piety, a magnificent procession was instituted with a splendid display, in which the principal deeds that Messalina performed nobly in life and death were represented in various tableaux; with an incredible concourse of neighboring peoples whom the fame of so great an event had drawn forth. This occurred on 23 January, the anniversary of the glorious death of Messalina, in the year 1613. The Cathedral basilica could scarcely contain the multitude flowing in like waves. The piety of the people of Foligno toward the holy Martyr increased from that time onward. Her body is displayed for public veneration in the same Cathedral church, within the chapel sacred to the Virgin of Loreto: and many favors are obtained from God there through the patronage and merits of Messalina.