ON SS. CRESCENTIANUS AND COMPANIONS.
UNDER DIOCLETIAN.
PRELIMINARY COMMENTARY. On the Acts, translations, and cult.
Crescentianus, or Crescentinus, Martyr, at Tifernum in Umbria (St.) Justinus, Martyr, at Tifernum in Umbria (St.) Griccivianus, Martyr, at Tifernum in Umbria (St.) Virianus, Martyr, at Tifernum in Umbria (St.) Orphitus, Martyr, at Tifernum in Umbria (St.) Euxuperantius, Martyr, at Tifernum in Umbria (St.) Benedictus, Martyr, at Tifernum in Umbria (St.) Eutropius, Martyr, at Tifernum in Umbria (St.) Fortunatus, Martyr, at Tifernum in Umbria (St.)
BY THE AUTHOR D. P.
St. Crescentianus, as Patron, embraces two distinguished Churches; namely the Tifernate one, which city is commonly called Città di Castello, near which also he sustained martyrdom, and which he honored with the long rest of his body; The cult of St. Crescentianus on this day, and the Urbino one, to which his remains were at last granted, and where he is generally called Crescentinus. The former Church retains besides the memory of the Companions; in whose old Calendar Fr. Angelo de' Conti, in the Flowers of that church published in Italian in the year 1627, and Jacobilli among the Saints and Blessed of Umbria, read these words on the Kalends of June: Of Sts. Crescentianus, Justinus, and other Martyrs. But all were thus named in the Collect, accustomed to be recited at Mass and the divine Office: Grant, we beseech, omnipotent God, that we who venerate the solemnities of thy Saints Crescentianus, Justinus, Griccivianus, Virianus, Orphitus, Exuperantius, Benedictus, Eutropius, and Fortunatus, may also imitate their virtues. Ferrari, in his Catalogue of the Saints of Italy, treats only of St. Crescentinus the Martyr of Tifernum, with the memory of the Companions Patron of Urbino, and cites the monuments of the Urbino church. Jacobilli, about to treat of the same, before all things cites in testimony, an ancient Manuscript Lectionary in the Church of Tifernum. But that is hitherto found nowhere, unless by that name Jacobilli understands a Manuscript little book which is found there with Lord Francesco Ignazio Lazzari, under this title; The Lives of the Saints and Blessed citizens of Tifernum, by Nicolò Manasseo of Tifernum, Canon of the Cathedral church, reduced and written down into this form and series.
[2] I indeed received, by the care of Lord Florido Veccellari, Canon there, whose Acts however make no mention, and by the favor of the aforesaid Lord Lazzari, heir of Canon Manasseo, the Life of St. Crescentianus, as it was held there, distinguished into six Lessons: which I understand were also printed, and used at Tifernum, before others were approved at Rome, not a little more succinct; which similarly I received, printed by the Chamber types in the year 1654. Meanwhile neither in the aforesaid Lessons, as well old as new, nor in others transmitted from Urbino, of which below, is there any word about the Companions; much less that they suffered, as Jacobilli says on September 10, or that on such a day they are venerated there. I would not therefore wish to call them Companions of Martyrdom, much less as having suffered on September 10, but of cult; nor yet to separate by commemorating, those whom it is clear from the premised Collect were accustomed to be honored jointly by the people of Tifernum. But a sufficient cause for joining the cult was, that from a time of which no memory existed, all together were laid in one place; perhaps by St. Floridus, contemporary of St. Gregory the Great, Bishop and Patron of the people of Tifernum; who with St. Aminius, his Presbyter, is said to have frequented that same place very much. Of these some translated in the year 1012 into the city, There all those, with St. Floridus himself, rested, by the testimony of Jacobilli, until Peter Bishop of Tifernum took care to have his Cathedral church, before named for St. Laurence, restored in the name of St. Floridus; and brought into it both the body of the holy Bishop himself, and also of four other Saints, namely Griccivianus, Virianus, Orphitus, and Exuperantius, the others being left in that place; where I would believe they still remain, except St. Crescentianus, since nothing is read of another translation of them having been made. Fr. Angelo Conti the Capuchin, who under the title of Beautiful Flowers (Fiori Vaghi) in the year 1627 published the Lives of the Saints and Blessed of Tifernum, writes that the first Translation was made about the year 1012: that Peter, then, would have been Bishop for a long time, since Ughelli says he lived in the year 1048, and gave certain goods to the Canons of St. Floridus.
[3] To Peter, the second of this name, Hermannus succeeded; who in the year 1060 is read to have divided the Canonry of St. Floridus, the Regulars perhaps being admitted to a share of the Prebends. and in the year 1068 St. Crescentianus himself to Urbino, But Hermannus was followed by Folcus: who furnished Mainardus Bishop of Urbino the opportunity of carrying off and translating the body of St. Crescentianus in the year 1068, only the head being left to the people of Tifernum: of which no small part, while Pope Paul V governed the Church, was brought into Città di Castello with no mean pomp, where it is very honorably kept in the Cathedral church, as is read at the end of the Tifernate Manuscript: But this Manuscript (unless the last words alone are an addition of Manasseo) must have been composed quite recently: since Paul V, created in the year 1605, lived until 1621: and the same novelty is indicated by the more cultivated and more verbose phrase: wherefore, all things considered, I judge a much older and more sincere text to be held in the Urbino Manuscript: which was perhaps brought to Tifernum by Mainardus, and then successively augmented by two last points, in which is contained first the translation, then the elevation of the sacred body. whence also are given the Acts received. The Manuscript of the people of Urbino, therefore, it pleases to prefer to the Tifernate one, although I judge that even the first fount of this is not much older than the age of Mainardus, and composed from traditions or pictures a little before the middle of the 11th century. But I received it from Rome, from Lord Giovanni Bisaiga, Prefect of the Archive of the Vatican Basilica; according to the authentic copy which he possesses, taken from the Codices both ancient and modern of the Archbishopric of Urbino, Aeneas Paduano, Doctor of both Laws, Vicar General of the Most Reverend Lord Archbishop, giving credence; and attesting to the same Giovanni Francesco Rota, Canon and Vicar of the Chapter, and Lelio Fideli, Chancellor of the Archiepiscopal Curia, on the day February 27, 1573.
[4] That the day of the translated Body, namely December 18, is held annually festive by the people of Urbino, Ferrari writes, in the General Catalogue, with these words; At Urbino in Italy, the Translation of St. Crescentinus the Martyr, Protector of the city. On that day certainly, in the year 1360, by Bishop Francesco, the Translation is held there on December 18, the sacred Bones were sought and found, the Acts which we give teach; yet that the same day was the anniversary of the Translation made by Mainardus, I have nothing whence to affirm, except the frequent examples in this work, by which we are taught that for similar acts the same day was often chosen, already before festive, to avoid the multiplication of feasts. But about Mainardus himself I would say this in passing, that that pious labor seems to have been divinely compensated to him, on which day in the year 1360 the bones were elevated. with the title of blessedness among posterity, when his own body, as of a Blessed, was placed under an altar, in the year 1499, on the 2nd before the Kalends of June, as on this day I taught among the Passed Over. Moreover not only at Tifernum and Urbino does this Saint of whom we chiefly treat have a church; The cult at Gubbio. but also in the Gubbio territory, as Jacobilli affirms; adding that he is there, as also at Urbino, called Crescentinus.
[5] The place of Martyrdom called Saddi; In the place which is called Saddi, outside the city of Tifernum, the Saint was slaughtered by the executioners, and buried by the Faithful, the Acts say, and constant tradition holds; nor are there lacking those who think Saddi is said for "Sancti" (Saints). Now that place was, according to Angelo and Jacobilli, then solitary; but now it has a parish, whose church (says Angelo and from him Jacobilli) is quite ancient, and distinguished by three naves. Under one half of it the ground dug out reveals a crypt or subterranean little church, to be approached by steps placed on each side: and having two altars, above one of which, on the very lime covering the wall, is seen painted an image of the Saint, in the appearance of a young man in armor, and sitting on a horse, and piercing a Dragon with a lance: and that painting is very old. But on the chief altar of the upper church, there a part of the helmet, useful for relieving headaches. which the Most Illustrious Lord Giulio Vitelli, then Provost of that building (for it is a Provostship, depending on the Cathedral), afterward most worthy Bishop of his country, had built at the head of the middle nave, extended at his own expense beyond the two lateral ones in the year 1524; on the chief altar, I say, there is preserved among other Relics a great part of a helmet, which the Saint is by popular faith believed to have used, and not uselessly: for, placed on the heads of those laboring with headache, it calms the pains; as a few years ago a man still, that is in the year 1627, living, and aged more than eighty-three years, experienced. Who besides relates that he heard from his elders, that where now is the aforesaid altar, there was once a thicket, above which some lights were wont to be seen in the nocturnal hours; and by the indication of these the Relics were found, which, brought into the city, filled the whole with a most sweet odor. These things read, a pious desire came upon me, of seeing the form of that iron which the people call the Saint's Helmet. The Canon of the Church of Tifernum, Lord Florido Uccellari, kindly made me possessor of this desire, sending a delineation, from which I learned that it is a crescent-shaped plate of nearly two Tifernate feet, yet scarcely half a foot wide anywhere, but gnawed on every side; such as is also another, nearly equaling a fourth part of the former: but neither has anything whence it could be judged that either was a part of a helmet, whether Roman or Barbarian.
[6] In the same church Angelo says is preserved the sign of a double Cross, likewise an ancient cross; which the Saint was wont to carry before him in his hands when preaching to the people, of simple wood, one finger broader, a palm long, of which length and breadth also is almost the handle; but the one transverse part, of four fingers; the other part, to which a title could be fitted, projecting only by three fingers. This Cross, says he, is on one of its parts covered with a certain little plate, which seems to be of bronze and is marked with certain sculptures; and to this day it is preserved within a chest, well gilded, together with a part of the skull, in the church of Saddi above the altar of the right nave, believed to have been the Saint's and is shown to the people with much devotion together with the sacred Relics. I praise the devotion and pious usage; and the sign of the Cross, by whomever or whenever brought there, let him be impious who refuses to venerate it. But that it is itself so ancient as is pretended, I fear cannot prudently be believed. This is certain; that the heralds of the Christian faith in those first centuries were not accustomed, though they preached Christ intrepidly and without dissimulation, and him Crucified, to carry the effigy of the Cross itself in their hands in the sight of the Gentiles: concerning which matter whoever wishes to read more, let him read in the Paralipomena to my Chronico-historical Attempt on the Roman Pontiffs, Dissertation 49 number 13. The Saint may have had it in private use; or someone may even have given it to the Church itself long after; yet the handle adhering to it savors of no small antiquity, in that form in which we see the Greek ones commonly expressed, but not the Latin: and therefore I judged it worth while to exhibit the whole, such as it is, to be seen in the first column; as I received it delineated from Canon Uccellari, although without the expression of the aforesaid chasing, because for forming this there was lacking a painter in such a place, nor ought one to be summoned from elsewhere, since nothing of learning could be had thence.
[7] However that may be, it is more worthy to be religiously preserved than certain bones, of that (as is reported) Dragon, which the Saint killed to free the people of Tifernum, near the Tiber, in that place, but elsewhere certain bones of a dragon as reported killed by the Saint: (where Angelo writes) in which now stands the church of the Maltese Commandery, called Regnaldello, distant one musket-shot from the walls; where in the church are seen hanging from the wall two shoulder-blades, of which one is four palms long, two broad and as many fingers; the other, a little smaller, both eaten away by time: but other bones, even very large, are shown in its crypt; which I said, of the church of Saddi, as of the same Dragon. Let there therefore be read what I discussed at the Acts of St. George on April 23 §. 3 about the dragon, accustomed to be laid beneath the feet or horse of St. George; and about many dragons and serpents, which are read to have been commonly killed or driven off by the Saints, entering some place to preach the faith there: which I judge to be no other than idolatry conquered, and the demon driven from his old possession. Those bones (if however they are bones, and not stones naturally congealed into the form of bones, such as are those which are commonly believed bones of giants) those bones, I say (as appears from the delineation sent to me, and here expressed) if joined together, constitute the perfect arch of one whole rib, to which a scale of Tifernate feet subtended, together with the measure of one foot divided into nine inches, which ought rather to seem of an elephant. indicates that the pretended rib itself was half a foot broad, and more than seven long. Whence if an estimate be made of the size of the animal that had such ribs, this rib could be judged of an elephant, and indeed a very tall one. But elephants brought from abroad Italy often had and saw; dragons, whose sides were furnished with ribs, I believe never. For in this the dragons agree with serpents, as many as are described by Aldrovandi, who searched their history from every source; that they run with one continuous spine through the whole body, by which contracted and relaxed they are vibrated with the swiftest dart whither they hasten, so that they seem to fly: although they are also said to be found winged. Let the same judgment be of the shoulder-blades, which an elephant could have as great as Angelo writes that it had; not likewise dragons, which lack shoulder-blades.
THE ACTS. From the Manuscripts of the Church of Urbino.
BHL Number: 1983
FROM THE URBINO MANUSCRIPT.
[1] In the time of the Emperor Diocletian, the persecution raging so against the Christians, Crescentinus, under Diocletian, that even, the cause unheard, everywhere by the edict of the Emperor they were most bitterly punished; Crescentinus, our Patron, a man renowned for piety, religion, and greatness of soul, sprung from noble and Christian parents, a Roman by country, but a Soldier by profession, his parents being dead, when as yet an adolescent he had distributed nearly all his goods to the poor of Christ, was afterward, the persecution raging, expelled from the City. But imitating that Gospel saying, When they persecute you in one city, flee to another, he betook himself into Etruria; he flees from Rome to Tifernum, and stayed at the Tiber in the territory of Tifernum. There when he had heard that a certain most foul and immense dragon often went around Tifernum; which not only at close quarters cruelly devoured beasts and men, but also, infecting far more by its pestilent and venomous breath, killed them at a distance; the holy Man, bearing it grievously, prayers with tears poured out to God the best and greatest, by divine power admonishing, perceived where, hearing the death-bearing dragon to be raging, that that city, deceived by the frauds of the ancient serpent the devil, worshiped vain and mute idols; from which so dire a plague by that dragon (God himself permitting) had been stirred up: and that if, the worship of idols rejected, they would flee to the living and true God, they would deserve to be freed by his mercy, Crescentinus himself interceding.
[2] Wherefore, the holy man of God and Soldier Crescentinus, began to preach the word of God with constant and mellifluous discourse: and they believing, he kills the same, and receiving the grace of the most sacred baptism; he himself, placing all his confidence in God, marked with the seal of Christ, advanced against that immense beast with strong and great spirit; and a lance seized, supported by divine protection, not without the great wonder of all, killed that dragon: for the wonder of which so illustrious a deed done, the number of the faithful and believing was daily increased more and more. he institutes a solitary life there, Yet Crescentinus was by no means exalted by human glory on that account; rather, rendering immortal thanks to God the maker of all, his horse and military arms, which alone Rome leaving he had made remaining to himself, likewise distributed to the poor, he hid himself in a certain little cell near Tifernum, which he himself had constructed with his own hands; and there, giving himself to fastings, prayers, and most holy works, he was wholly in God: and thought of or did nothing else day and night. and becomes renowned by miracles. But there flocked to this man, most holy from every side, a multitude of peoples frequent from many parts: whom he both refreshed with the food of the preaching of Christ, and also, if he found any languishing, paralytic, weak, withered, blind, mute, deaf, or affected with any other disease, recalled to their former and perfect health by the power of the most high God.
[3] But when the fame of so great a man had become widely known far and wide, it reached also the Roman Emperor; namely, that there were in Etruria Christian men, Before the Prefect Flavus Roman citizens, who, detesting the Roman gods, embraced and zealously taught the doctrine and worship of the crucified Nazarene. Wherefore the Emperor, moved, charged Flavus, at that time Prefect of Etruria and staying at Tifernum, that he should take care that no one should name the Christian name, but should compel the Gods of the Romans to be worshiped and venerated under the penalty of a doubled punishment. having professed the faith of Christ, Then therefore the devil, always envious of the good, stirred up the tyrannical rage of Flavus himself against Crescentinus; for, that he might not preach the name of Christ to the people, that most savage tyrant most fiercely threatening forbade him. But Crescentinus, full of the Holy Spirit, like a burning lamp, which cannot be hidden under a measure, began more strongly to preach Jesus Christ, announced by the Prophets to be born of a Virgin for the human race, and that those who believed in him, and received the grace of baptism in his name, could have the stain of all the sins of the first man blotted out. Wherefore the cruel tyrant, kindled with anger, ordered Crescentinus to be brought into the forum, and commanded him, and variously tortured, that as a suppliant he should adore his Gods. To whom answering boldly Crescentinus said, I do not adore your Gods: for the idols are vain, blind, and deaf, and the works of the hands of men. Then the tyrant ordered a huge fire to be kindled, and Blessed Crescentinus to be cast into the midst of the flames. When this had been done, and he himself, giving thanks to God, remained unhurt; that most savage tyrant, seized by fury, ordered the most blessed Martyr of Christ, tortured with very many punishments, to be killed, and his body to be left unburied.
[4] And so the Satellites, stripping him of his garments, his hands and feet bound and his body naked, he is dragged to the place of execution: dragged him along the ground so savagely, that with his sacred blood while being dragged very many stones were bloodied; and this as long as until they came to the place predetermined for them: and everywhere afflicted with very many and various tortures, and always remaining most constantly in the confession of the Christian faith; at last, his head cut off, the most blessed Martyr obtained the palm of martyrdom; the body of him beheaded, and his most holy soul was given the glory of eternal felicity, with angelic canticles and hymns, his glorious body being left unburied. Which the Christians seeing, secretly gathered it, and honorably buried it in the place which is called Saddi; where in his honor a temple stands constructed: in which, on account of the memory of so great a Martyr, the holy Floridus, he is honorably buried: and the holy Adamantius, Confessors, with the utmost Piety and Religion, long after dwelt, and ended their day, and there their Bodies are buried. But Blessed Crescentinus suffered while Diocletian reigned, on the Kalends of June, in the year of the Lord two hundred eighty-seven.
[5] Whose Body rested in the said church until the times of the Emperor Henry the Fourth, whence it, by the permission of Bishop Fulco, son of the Emperor Henry the third. For when Fulco, a most noble man, abounding in charity and every kind of virtues, was Bishop of Tifernum; it happened that Mainardus, an illustrious man, full of all grace and sanctity, Bishop of the Church of Urbino, complained with Fulco himself, that the church of the people of Urbino over which he presided lacked the relics of the Saints. When Fulco had heard this, and knew Mainardus himself to be a most faithful servant of Christ; on account of his piety and religion, he promised him the Body of the most blessed Crescentinus the Martyr. Wherefore, exulting with joy, Mainardus, having secretly called Abbots, Monks, Priests, and religious men, clothed in lay garment, relying on the truthful promise of Fulco, betook himself thither with all these, where the Body of St. Crescentinus the Martyr lay; Mainardus Bishop of Urbino carried off, and with psalms, hymns, and much incense, drew him out from the place in which he lay. O what sweetness of odor, and what delight, the holy Body being dug out, filled those who were there present! But when Mainardus the Bishop, with the Clergy and People of Urbino, carried that so precious treasure to the Church of Urbino with the utmost veneration; the people of Tifernum following him in vain, the people of Tifernum going out, with a great band of armed men, pursued them, to take that Body from them. But divine providence, which is not deceived in its disposition, neither wished the people of Urbino to be defrauded of so great a benefit; at once provided help. For while Mainardus as a suppliant prayed God, to free him with the whole people from those persecutors, and to keep the Body of the holy Martyr unharmed, a white little cloud so covered them, in the year 1068. that they could never be seen by those enemies. Wherefore Mainardus with his company unharmed translated that most holy Body with the utmost joy to the Church of Urbino, in the year of the Lord one thousand sixty-eight.
[6] Thenceforth the Saint becomes renowned by miracles, Then Mainardus the Bishop instituted a temple to be built with wondrous order and work, in which he placed that most holy Body with the greatest praise, honor, and glory, in the crypt, which is on the Western side, where he furnishes benefits to those who ask. O how many blind have been illumined, lepers cleansed, paralytics healed! Whose miracles do not fail even in our times. It is also handed down by our elders, that as often as the people of Urbino against their enemies used the Banner of the most blessed Martyr Crescentinus, invoked, they always obtained wondrous victories. But in the year of the Lord one thousand three hundred sixty, on the 18th day of the month of December, when, the religion of men cooling, it was doubtful among some, Patron of the people of Urbino. whether the body of St. Crescentinus was found in that crypt; Francesco Bishop of Urbino, first by divine nod, then by the consent of the Canons, and the will of other Prelates and Clerics, sought the Body anew and found it; and the error of incredulity being removed from the minds of men, and the ancient religion recalled, the immensity of the heavenly goodness produced very many other miracles. It is also piously to be believed, that not by our merits, but by the prayers and glorious entreaties of the holy Martyr himself, this our city of Urbino so long endures in such a happy state of affairs, that there is none of these neighboring cities, which in this matter can in any part be compared to ours. Let us therefore pray God omnipotent and greatest, that by the intercessions of St. Crescentinus the Martyr our Patron he may preserve his Prelates, defend the Clerics, protect the People, and this City from every enemy, danger, famine, and tempest; that the People coming to him, may through him praise God, and by his merits live with him, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, unto the ages of ages. Amen.