ON ST. ELIUS OR AELIUS, CONFESSOR,
AT JUSTINOPOLIS IN ISTRIA.
From Ferrari.
CommentaryElius or Aelius, Confessor, at Justinopolis in Istria (S.)
J. B. S.
Concerning the city of Justinopolis (commonly Capo d'Istria) Ughelli treated at length, volume 5 of Italia Sacra, column 354, from whom it was more succinctly described in our Acts, volume III of June, page 884, where, concerning St. Nazarius, who is venerated there with St. Alexander and our St. Elius, He is venerated as buried with SS. Nazarius and Alexander, concerning whom the same Ughelli, column 356: "Here are preserved three bodies of Saints, namely of Nazarius the bishop, the divine protector, and of the holy Alexander and Aelius," which same words are recorded in our Acts on the IV of May in the Preliminary Commentary to the Acts of St. Alexander the Pope, number 14. Ferrari, who calls him Helius, I have here named chiefly for the received cult, because he himself is the first to testify of him in both his Catalogues; from the first of which we shall soon give the elogium. In the General one he thus announced him: "At Justinopolis in Istria, of St. Helius the confessor"; where he notes that the Saint was received from the tablets of the church of Justinopolis, and that he was sprung from the village of Cosabona—he doubtless wished, with others, to say Castabona. He confesses that the Acts and the time in which he lived are unknown, and refers to Nicolò Manzuoli, a Justinopolitan jurisconsult, in his description of Istria, or rather in the list of the Saints of that region, from which, however, we shall equally learn nothing.
[2] What the alleged tablets of Justinopolis are, I know not; I have Manzuoli before my eyes, testifying in Italian that there exists a Legend, but of his deeds nothing survives, which is sung on the festival of St. Helius the confessor in the village of Castabona subject to this diocese. "The body," he says, "is in the cathedral church of Justinopolis. Of whom, as also of St. Nazarius, I have found nothing, since the codex of that church perished, in which their Lives were described." Further, the whole Legend comprises a mere little exhortation, most apt to be recited and chanted of any Saint and in any Catholic church, so that to put effort into translating it into Latin or describing it here would be altogether superfluous. Ferrari, in the Catalogue of the Saints of Italy, calls it a manuscript sermon, delivered on his festival; adding that the rest is wholly lacking: yet that it is ancient appears from this, that he converted the city of Justinopolis to the faith. But this will not easily be persuaded to me, if, as others wish, he was a deacon of St. Nazarius, but this latter only the second bishop after John, who, according to Ughelli, was first consecrated in the year 756. But the place for disputing this matter will most probably recur on the XII of October, when St. Maximilian is to be treated. Behold now the elogium of Ferrari:
[3] so that Ferrari's elogium is not sufficiently certain. "Helius at Justinopolis (which is the chief city of Istria) shone with sanctity of life, doctrine, and miracles. For he, despising the riches of this world, devoted himself wholly to the service of Jesus Christ: and being cultivated both in morals and in letters, led very many to Christ by his preaching, and drew the city of Justinopolis to the acknowledgment of the true faith, both by sermons and by miracles, with which he confirmed his doctrine. Whose body, when it had been unknown for some time, being found, was honorably laid up in the cathedral church. But his memory is solemnly celebrated on this day, which is the XV Kalends of August." Our Justus Locatellus added, in a letter given at Trieste on the IX of December 1690, "under a double rite, yet so that it is not a feast of precept. The relics are laid up in a chest closed with glass plates, which is opened on the feast of the aforesaid Saint, and is exposed to the veneration of the people." Franciscus, bishop of Justinopolis, had written before, on the X of September 1677, that Elius was said to have been a deacon of St. Nazarius, and a diocesan of his from the castle of Costabona, not far distant from the city, whose house still exists, in which he died, and there are there kinsmen of the same stock, called Portulana. This could be passed over in silence. I would rather admit that the festival is celebrated at a proper altar under the choir, on account of many prodigies, especially in pains of the head. This let the worshipers of the Saint celebrate; but let not others of the Elian race glory vainly.