Evidius the Martyr

ON S. EVIDIUS THE MARTYR, IN THE MONASTERY OF S. PETER OF BESALÚ,

OF THE DIOCESE OF GIRONA IN CATALONIA.

From the Spanish History of Domenecc.

Evidius, Martyr in the monastery of S. Peter of Besalú in Catalonia (S.)

G. H.

Antonius Vincentius Domenecc,

in the general History of the Saints

& illustrious men of Catalonia,

going to treat at folio 54 of S. Evidius

the Martyr, broadly describes the monastery

of S. Peter of Besalú, of the Order

of S. Benedict, in the diocese of Girona constructed

in the year DCCCCLXXVII, & endowed with very many possessions;

& in it he asserts to be celebrated on the day XIII June

the feast of S. Evidius the Martyr, with an Octave. And because in

the said monastery they recite the divine Office according

to the Roman use, there received, when

are added in Lauds & Vespers Commemorations

common or suffrages of Saints, they recite about six

Saints, whose bodies they have, the following Prayer.

Be propitious to us thy servants, Feast with Octave. we beseech

Lord, through the glorious merits of these holy Martyrs of thine,

Primus & Felicianus, Concordius & Evidius,

Marinus & Patronus, & other Saints, who rest in

the present church, that

by their pious intercession we may always be protected from all

adversities. Prayer of him & other Saints: Of these SS. Primus & Felicianus

are said to have suffered at Agen in Gaul, with S. Fides, on the day

VI October. SS. Marinus & Patronus, XIX August.

About these two & S. Evidius in the same place in Domenecc

are read these things: Into this illustrious & sacred

House were afterwards brought the holy pledges

of our Saints, Evidius, Marinus, & Patronus,

by whose intercession of these three God confers many benefits

to men invoking them. But S. Concordius

was referred by Domenecc & Ferrarius to the Kalends

of January, benefits are bestowed: as if he were Concordius the Presbyter suffering at Spoleto

, we indicated on his Acts. Of these six

Saints, says Domenecc, the bodies in the major chapel

of the said church are preserved with great reverence

& veneration, in three elevated arks;

as is established from a certain visitation of those Relics,

made by the Most Reverend Abbot of Besalú, bodies in the chapel.

President of the Religion of the glorious Father Benedict,

in the provinces of Tarragona, Saragossa,

& Navarre: & in the ark toward the bell-tower are

the bodies of S. Concordius & S. Evidius, where are all

the bones, with the head of S. Evidius entire. Nay are added Indulgences

of one year & a quadragena, Indulgences. by Clement

Pope the sixth conceded to those, who at the feasts of these Saints,

& of SS. Peter & Paul the Apostles, contrite

& confessed, shall visit these Relics. The Bull of such

Indulgences, written in ancient character on

a tablet, is hung in the church itself. Clement VI

presided over the Church from the year MCCCXLII to year

MCCCLII. Tamayus Salazar, Memory in fasti. in the Spanish

Martyrology, on S. Evidius at XIII June formed this elogium:

At the Besalú monastery in Spain,

the depositio of S. Evidius the Martyr, who as a soldier distinguished for the faith

contending in the stadium, unwearyingly ran

to the trophy of reward. Because namely no Acts were extant,

he applied this elogium common to all Martyrs.

But Ferrarius mentions the same in a few words in the general Catalog:

At Besalú in the Gironan territory, S.

Evidius the Martyr.