ON ST. FELIX, BISHOP,
AT VERONA IN ITALY.
From the Roman Martyrology.
CommentaryFelix, Bishop, at Verona in Italy (S.)
J. B. S.
What our Predecessors so often warned in this work, and we have often observed, that Baronius added very many Saints, altogether unknown to the more ancient Martyrologies, both from various churches of Italy and from elsewhere, to his latest revision of the Roman Martyrology, He was first noted by Baronius, there is no reason for us here to repeat at length. Among these must certainly be reckoned this holy Felix, bishop of Verona, in order, as they there number, according to the testimony of the Veronese monuments recited by Valerio and Ughelli, the twenty-third, concerning whose catalogues it is not to my liking here to dispute. All things they themselves confess to be obscure, his age, the time of his rule, his death and deeds, so that of the cult alone something distinct can be asserted. The praised Baronius: At Verona, of St. Felix the bishop. Furthermore that no Fasti more ancient than Baronius went before him with their light, is clear from his own notation, when he adduces nothing besides these few words: Called otherwise Felicinus. Of him from the ancient monuments of the bishops of Verona Augustinus Valerio, bishop of Verona, and
Cardinal, pages 6 and 38. And these are the things which Ferrarius, Ughelli, and any others who made mention of St. Felix of Verona, copied from him.
[2] Have therefore the eulogy which, from Raffaele Bagata and Battista Peretto, Valerio gave in the Ancient Monuments, from Augustinus Valerio, printed at Venice in the year 1576, folio 38 verso: Felix, bishop of Verona, always displayed a great zeal for propagating Christian piety, and a certain excellent probity of manners; and therefore, at the time when he presided over the people of Verona, all admired the various and illustrious virtues in which he excelled. When he had gained many souls for Christ the Lord, he died on the fourteenth of the Kalends of August, and was buried in the basilica of St. Stephen; and from his name today there exists at Verona a church on the highest hill. From him too the citadel took its name, in which the church is placed, which citadel is called St. Felix. In the consecration of the church of St. George in the Canonicate, and of the altar of St. James in the church of the holy Apostles at Verona, among the relics of very many other Saints, there were placed in it also the relics of this holy Bishop. From these do not differ the eulogies of Ferrarius and Ughelli; in the former an error must be corrected, that he asserts the Saint departed from life on the 16th of the Kalends of August, where Valerio expressly stated this day.
[3] whose Veronese monuments What ancient monuments were found at Verona, the praised Valerio indicates in detail, folio 6 verso and 7, some of which I here subjoin. Of St. Felix, he says, otherwise Felicinus, bishop of Verona, the body rests in the church of St. Stephen; from the marble tablet, of which above, where of St. Andronicus; from the lectionary of the cathedral church, and from an ancient tablet of parchment, of which above: where of St. Alexander. Then Francesco Corna is cited, as a witness, I think, that in the major altar of the church of St. Stephen, which was first the cathedral, the body of St. Felix, bishop of Verona, is deposited. There follows the table of the Saints on the 19th day of the month of July, in which namely is had: Of Felix, bishop of Verona and confessor, a lesser double. He lies in St. Stephen. In the same church of St. Stephen, on the right side of the major altar, is a painted image of St. Felix the bishop with these letters: St. Felix, Bishop of Verona. Of the citadel enough has already been said; in it the ancient walls of its own church are still shown.
[4] Of greater moment are not the remaining things which are recited here by the praised Valerio; let it suffice: are enumerated. in the same citadel a new church has been built in honor of St. Felix the bishop, and above the door of the church is a painted image of the bishop, under which are the letters "St. Felise." And in the altar-cloth painted 1533 is an image of the bishop with a mitre and the letters "St. Felix, Bishop." Above the gate of the citadel itself is an old image of the bishop, under which are these letters: MCCCC … PRIMO … XXXI … SERADO.