Porphyrius

ON SAINT PORPHYRIUS

PRESBYTER, MARTYR, AT CAMERINO IN UMBRIA.

Porphyrius the Presbyter, Martyr at Camerino in Umbria (S.)

BY THE AUTHOR G. H.

The tables of the present Roman Martyrology celebrate on this IV day of May S. Porphyrius the Martyr in Umbria, where noted Baronius, that of him mention is had in the Acts of S. Venantius, Sacred cult who suffered at Camerino on the XVIII of this month of May, on which day his Acts we illustrate. Ludovico Jacobilli volume I on the Lives of the Saints and Blessed of Umbria, on this IV of May, these things especially hands down: When the holy Priest Porphyrius was endowed with great learning, zeal and exemplary life, he went into his country Camerino, and there the faith of Christ preached, conversion of the Gentiles, and a copious multitude of Pagans from the blindness of idolatry to the light of the Christian faith led. Among others he converted and baptized S. Venantius, a most noble youth of Camerino, Supprinus his father, his mother also and others of their kinsmen: and he instructed S. Venantius in every kind of virtues, in which very illustrious to all he appeared: who obeyed S. Porphyrius with great reverence, as his true master. SS. Venantius, Anastasius with their family In the sacred font also he washed Anastasius the Cornicularius of the King, and his wife, as well as four sons, who afterward all by martyrdom finished their life. As will be said on the XI day of May. These sayings of Jacobilli confirms Ferdinand Ughelli volume I of Italia Sacra in the Preface to the Bishops of Camerino. Now from then, he says, from the year CCXLVIII the Evangelical light embraced the city, by the work and effort of S. Porphyrius the Presbyter, once of S. Venantius the most invincible Martyr the master. For he, when scarcely fifteen years old, and having borne through exquisite torments the illustrious palm of martyrdom, very many of the worshippers of idols by his tolerance converted to Christ, together with Porphyrius his preceptor: and full of merits, Decius the tyrant being conquered, he flew away to heaven. But these things more fully are indicated in the Acts of S. Venantius. But the rest from Jacobilli let us prosecute.

[2] There was of the city of Camerino, he says, a Governor by Decius appointed, Antiochus, who by night had such a vision, the exposition of the vision made to the Governor Antiochus: in which appeared to him S. Venantius, full of splendor, while he procured the peoples to be baptized, who also with great brightness shone: but others stood behind, in most obscure darkness wrapped. The Governor therefore commanded to himself to be summoned S. Porphyrius, as a man with great sanctity, authority and learning endowed, that the now related vision he might interpret. He came and expounded to Antiochus the vision, to the true Catholic interpretation conformed: and indicated that those who appeared in obscure darkness and shadows wrapped, were those who lived in the blindness of idolatry, adoring for God statues of wood or stone, which neither see, nor any sense use. But that S. Venantius and the other peoples converted to Christ, were beautiful and with every brightness resplendent, who by the medium of the water of holy baptism, were illumined, and from the savagery of the enormous sin of idolatry freed. And at the same time to him he announced the Christian faith, and indicated in what blindness he was, that the true God he did not adore. Then the Governor, with fury against the holy Priest moved, on account of this interpretation adverse to his sect, commanded his satellites, martyrdom: that his head they should amputate. Brought therefore to the place of punishment he poured out to God his prayers, to Him commending the souls, which to the port of salvation he had led, and his own spirit. Then approached the executioner, and the head from the rest of the body tore away, and in this manner his soul flew away into heaven. This was done at Camerino on the IV day of May, reigning Decius the Emperor. His body was by the faithful reverently buried, and afterward translated into the church, dedicated to S. Venantius and to him by the people erected. These things Jacobilli, burial. citing in the margin the MS. History of Camerino of Angelo Benigno, the ancient Lessons MS., and other authors. The same volume 3 in the Catalogue of the Relics of Umbria, hands down that in the Collegiate church of S. Venantius is preserved the Body of S. Porphyrius the Martyr, in a most ancient marble chest. The rest the reader will find in the Acts of S. Venantius, in which no mention is made of Decius the Emperor, but all things are ascribed to Antiochus the King, who by the later writers is held only a petty King, or Prefect, or Governor of Decius the Emperor.

ON SS. HERACLIUS, JUSTUS AND MAURUS

MARTYRS, AT FOLIGNO IN UMBRIA.

UNDER DECIUS

Heraclius, Martyr, at Foligno in Umbria (S.)

Justus, Martyr, at Foligno in Umbria (S.)

Maurus, Martyr, at Foligno in Umbria (S.)

G. H.

The Prelate of the people of Foligno and now Patron, also of the neighboring peoples and of all Umbria, flourished in the third century of Christ S. Felician, whose various Acts we gave on the day XXIV of January. Ludovico Jacobilli, and himself of Foligno, Converted by S. Felician, volume one on the Lives of the Saints and Blessed of Umbria, among other infidels, by the work and aid of the said S. Felician to the faith of Christ in the said province of Umbria converted, judges to have been three soldiers of Foligno and then Martyrs, namely Heraclius, Justus and Maurus, who afterward by zeal of divine honor and the salvation of souls kindled, by their exhortations and the good example of virtues, dared the holy faith to propagate. The times of the Emperor Philip favored; in the persecution of Decius, captured, but he and his son in the year CCXLIX being slain, succeeded Decius, by whom a truculent persecution against the Christians, and that the eighth, was excited, nor with his death, which under the end of the year CCLI happened, taken away. In this persecution shut in prisons these three athletes, some months after the martyrdom of S. Felician brought out, and before Aurelius the Governor examined, but intrepid in professing the faith of Christ, are adjudged to death, that one mile outside the gate of the city, which toward Rome inclines, brought out, they should be beheaded: and thus on the IV day of May the palm of martyrdom obtained. they are beheaded, Their bodies were by the faithful preserved, and afterward near the body of their most holy Pastor Felician in the Cathedral church placed.

[2] Ferdinand Ughelli volume I of Italia Sacra in the Bishops of Foligno number 5 these things writes: Felician, while the flock of Foligno he moderates and rules, Heraclius, Justus, A church erected to them, and Maurus, eminent Confessors of Christ, the track of their contest near Foligno most gloriously ran on the fourth day of May. But where for Christ they met death, there in their honor

a temple was erected, soon also a castle, which from the name of S. Heraclius, the ancients called Heraclium, and a castle named, but distant from Foligno by only one mile, Heraclum, by the ignorance afterward of the common people, it was easy to deviate into Rachium.

[3] These things Ughelli, to which Jacobilli adds the said castle to be very well inhabited, sacred cult May 4, and in it to be numbered beyond a thousand souls, and there these holy Martyrs as chief Protectors to be venerated, and their feast to be kept, as in the city and diocese of Foligno, under a double rite on this IV day of May; and besides through the year in the Ecclesiastical Office their Commemoration, because their sacred bodies are reckoned to be preserved there. But there is through the glorious merits of Thy holy Martyrs Heraclius, Justus and Maurus, and of Florentius and Peter the Confessors, whose bodies in our church rest &c. The same Martyrs celebrates Ferrarius in the General Catalogue of the Saints, and another of the Saints of Italy: but he had not so exact a notice, as we here from Jacobilli and Ughelli have given.

[4] and April 27. In the MS. Martyrologies, the Medicean and of the Senator Strozzi at Florence, and another there printed under the date of the year 1486 on the XXVII of April the same with one companion augmented thus are reported, At the city of Foligno of the holy martyrs Heraclius, Justus, Maurus and Vitalis, who under Dacian the Governor Martyrdom suffered. Which perhaps are more ancient and more sincere. But it most easily could happen, that for Dacian the Governor, someone substituted the Decian persecution; and S. Vitalis therefore only was passed over, in that his body either was not found or was translated elsewhere, before the three others into the Cathedral church were brought in. Because nevertheless the same Vitalis in the MS. of Monte Cassino and in our Florarium separately is named, I have not presumed to add him in this place to those Martyrs of Foligno: of whom now the feast of Translation is kept, the memory of the birthday itself obliterated, I am persuaded.