Valentinus

ON SAINT VALENTINUS

BISHOP OF GENOA.

Valentinus, Bishop of Genoa (St.)

BY THE AUTHOR D. P.

The monuments of the Genoese are not so accurate, that of the age of St. Valentinus it is permitted from them to pronounce for certain. The time of the Episcopate of St. Valentinus uncertain The writers everywhere are of opinion, Ughellus being witness volume 4 of Italia Sacra, that he governed the Genoese Church fifth in order: although by the same Ughellus, the middle ones being passed over, whose names have fallen out, he is placed next to St. Salomo held everywhere the first Bishop of the Genoese. Some Life of his written anciently Ughellus had, and thence received the History of the body found and elevated: A Life written in the 13th century is sought. Ferrarius also from the same seems to have received summarily some miracles reported. But hitherto we grieve frustrated the labor, which in seeking it at Genoa the Rev. Father John Stephen Fliscus, most studious of promoting this work, put: wherefore if anyone knows whether either among the papers left by Ughellus or elsewhere a copy survives, we ask that he would deign to communicate it. Meanwhile let the reader have the few things we can collect, and first the elogium of his virtues from the Proper of the Genoese saints; in which since I read only generic praises and proper to any Bishop, I am led to believe that not even in the Life which is sought, anything of singular knowledge is contained. The tenor moreover of the proper Lesson is this:

[2] Valentinus of Genoa, an excellent specimen of sanctity, The elogium from the Proper of the SS. of Genoa both alive and even dead, exhibited. He from his entering age devoted to the offices of holy religion, despising all the delights of the flesh and the pleasures of this world, so shone forth by divine virtues, that through the mouths of all, as a divine exemplar of Christian piety, he flew. He was moreover venerable in countenance, pleasant in mouth, upright in heart, prudent in counsel, composed in morals, and in all the works of God wonderfully strenuous. And so the Bishop of the city being dead, Valentinus, with the highest consent of all, unwilling is set over the Genoese Church: which Episcopal office he so bore, that from the faithful he obtained the greatest praise. For in exhorting meekness, in correcting severity, in rightly instructing his flock he always applied the highest care and diligence. Upright in the ways of justice, sparing in food and drink, solicitous in prayer, wonderful in contemplation, he was recognized to bear Christ Jesus always in his mouth, always in his heart. He was the assiduous defender of widows and orphans, the best patron of the poor and orphans. And so the holy Bishop, having performed many labors for the honor of God, when he had most holily governed his Church for almost thirteen years; illustrious in the glory of virtues and miracles, on the VI Nones of May, in the seventy-fifth year of his age, fell asleep in the Lord, and in the basilica of the twelve Apostles was religiously buried. His body long hidden, and wonderfully with all the Pontifical ornament still entire found, and breathing a most sweet odor, John II Bishop of Genoa, with great veneration of the people, took care to be honorably placed beside the greater altar.

[3] That was done in the year DCCCCLXXXV says Ughellus: and, as I premised, from a coeval writer the fuller history of the body found and elevated in his very words he thus sets forth. The body of this so great Prelate Valentinus lay hid from mortals, buried within the bosom of the church of St. Syrus: but, as from our elders we learned, while in that same little place unknown the feet of those going and returning walked about, The finding and elevation of the body in the year 985 as it were a certain sound of hollowness was perceived and the earth to tremble. Whence very many were of opinion that the body of a man of great life, as also it was, rested: who for the cause of devotion erecting above a wooden setting of fourfold composition, the feet of all were removed from the injury of the saint. Which so remained even to our times, until John Bishop of this Genoese city obtained the pastoral care. Since therefore it had pleased the inventor of all good things, that the life as well as the little body of so excellent a man should be disclosed; while the said Bishop desired the church of St. Syrus to be ordered in the order of monastic institution, and the people now restored the ruined church for the better and laid the foundations; they found the body of the most holy Valentinus, in the place, of which we already spoke, entire in garments and body. Which with swift steps straightway was announced to the Bishop: who more quickly sent his Deacon, desiring to know whether the matter was so: enjoining in his mandates, that they should more diligently inquire, whether the Saint had a ring on his hand: which he ordered that he should bring to him. Who coming, still in the same place found the holy body, and for the cause of cupidity as he had been ordered took away the ring, and snatched some part of the flesh with the garment, but it straightway placed upon the altar: but the ring he brought to the Bishop and the part which he had taken from the body of the Saint, and what he had deposited upon the altar, in order he discloses. And the same Bishop inveighed against him, that he had foolishly done, and enjoined in his mandates, that as quickly as possible the flesh with the garment in the sepulchre beside the body he should put back, whence he had taken it, which he did. But the Lord Bishop with the sacred order of Clergy and a multitude of peoples thence taking away the relic of the Saint, with all reverence beside the greater altar placed it, until a place there, where it might be laid, should be most fitly perfected. Which the Lord assenting was completed, and by all the people with a large donation so much was bestowed, whence the chamber of the whole church was almost completed to the end. But of the place where the Saint had long before lain, a marble tablet was found, in which his name and life is decently written: which remains even today to the knowledge of many.

These things Ughellus; from which I note, that the same John the Bishop translated the Episcopal See from the church of St. Syrus to the edifice of St. Laurence within the walls of the city: and that then at length there seems to have been cast into him the mind of constituting monks in the church now relinquished, which therefore to be restored he himself indeed undertook; the monks however, prevented by death, to constitute there he could not: but this pious work to his successor Landulphus he left to be completed. Meanwhile the body of St. Valentinus began to shine with miracles: which Ferrarius in the Catalogue of the saints of Italy indicating that he had found them briefly described, with an elogium of this kind adorns the same St. Valentinus. Valentinus, born at Genoa: from ancient tradition on account of his virtues created the V Bishop of the Genoese, certain miracles. lived in the Episcopate to seventy-five years, conspicuous for the sanctity of life and for miracles: by which also after his death he shone forth. For that we may bring forth some things which are read written; when a certain man of Ventimiglia, on account of food sticking in his throat, was at the point of death; brought to the sepulchre of St. Valentinus, straightway he was freed from peril. A girl of Asti, who was so contracted in her feet, that by no means could she walk, brought to the tomb of the holy Bishop recovered the faculty of walking. A matron likewise of Genoa, who had contracted a deformity of the face from disease, fleeing to the help of St. Valentinus, received the appearance and comeliness of her former form. In the Annotation the aforesaid Ferrarius cites the Annals of the city of Genoa, and a very ancient Codex of the Church: in which we believe he found described that very Life, of which Ughellus had a copy; and so these miracles to have happened in the very 10th century, The translation of a part to the Cathedral in which the body had been found. This afterwards, in the year MCCXL, from the Church of St. Syrus to the Cathedral edifice of St. Laurence was translated, Ughellus indicates; at which time according to him at St. Syrus the Abbot was Bertrand III, but the Genoese Archbishop another John, surnamed de Cuturno. Of which translation whether besides anything has been written being asked to inquire he whom above I named Father Fliscus, answered, that nothing is found, either in the archive of the Metropolitan church, a part being left at St. Syrus or in the library of the Theatine Fathers, to whom the church of St. Syrus passed: that only, he says, by tradition we know, a part of the sacred body to have been left in the church of St. Syrus, where in the greatest altar in a marble chest of black color, skillfully wrought and adorned with bronze and gilded signs, it is kept, publicly exposed to veneration: the remaining part in the church of St. Laurence laid up under the greater altar.