Ursus

ON SAINT URSUS,

BISHOP OF FANO IN ITALY.

7TH CENT.

Ursus, Bishop of Fano, in Italy (S.)

G. H.

The Church of Fano with solemn rite venerates four Bishops of its city and its Protectors: of whom was S. Eusebius, of whom we treated on the XVIII day of April, where we related very many things of the situation of that city and the benefits bestowed on us there, which there can be read. Another of the Protectors is S. Ursus, whose birthday falls on this XV of May. Of him Ferrarius in the Catalogue of the Saints of Italy writes these things: Ursus Bishop of Fano on this day is celebrated at Fano, whose body together with the body of S. Eusebius, Bishop of the same city, in the same marble ark, in its own altar and chapel of the greater Church, rests. The same Ferrarius in the General Catalogue, At Fano Fortunae, he says, of S. Ursus, Bishop of the same city and Protector: and annotates that the Acts are contained in a certain MS. codex, woven rather from the common than from the proper. Ughello in volume I of Sacred Italy among the Bishops of Fano, numbers him the sixth Bishop of the said city. But, he says, it is not sufficiently established whether he flourished before or after S. Fortunatus, although in the tables of the same Church he is said to have lived in the year 625. Meanwhile with Ughello after S. Fortunatus places S. Ursus Vincent Nolfi, in the Lives of the four holy Bishops and Protectors of Fano, printed in the year 1641, of S. Ursus bringing forth these few things from the tradition of the elders alone.

[2] S. Ursus born at Rome, had Patrician parents, whose ancestors are believed to have held the Magistracy, and to have been honored with the Consular dignity. A compendium of his Life, But he himself, worldly pomp being spurned, applied his mind to divine service, and by Honorius the first Roman Pontiff, in the year of Christ six hundred and twenty-five, in the time of the Emperor Heraclius, was elected Bishop of the Church of Fano: in which dignity he labored strenuously, to eliminate whatever traces of ancient idolatry there were, and the superstition thence born, by which all religious piety is violated, utterly to extirpate. But how long he lived, and as a true Pastor fed his flock in sanctity of life and miraculous works, is unknown: yet it seems to be believed of him, what of Abraham sacred Scripture asserts, namely that full of days and merits from this vale of tears he departed to the heavenly joy, on the fifteenth day of May. Gen. 25, 8

[3] Afterwards in the year one thousand one hundred and thirteen, as the Acts of S. Fortunatus have it, when the people of Fano sought, where the bones of this their Pontiff rested; it pleased at last, that they should break that pyramid, in which the sacred body with its coffin they had learned by the ordinance of the elders to be contained. The body found in the year 1113. Therefore the pyramid is overturned, the stone ark is uncovered, uncovered it is opened, that venerable treasure, which was sought, is beheld within: and since the charity of the Elect ever rejoices in holy society, because charity cannot be singular, two others were found with him, whose sacred names the inscribed writings declare, while they announce one to be called Eusebius, the other Ursus. And deservedly those three Pontiffs are enclosed in one mausoleum, who instructed by the same faith of the Trinity and Unity, sublime by the same Pontifical dignity, sacred Rectors of the same Church of Fano, arrived alike at the same perpetual glory of felicity. But the venerable Relics being uncovered, thou wouldst behold the whiteness of snow in the bones, so that now in them the glorification of the resurrection was presignified: a fragrance also of odor so great flowed, that it transcended the perfumes of myrrh and balsam and all unguents with incomparable sweetness. These things Ughello from the Life of S. Fortunatus the Bishop, written by John of Nonantola, but it entire is to be given on his birthday June VIII. Of the worship of S. Ursus, and the punishment divinely following its contempt, these things adds Vincent Nolfi.

[4] A certain rustic in the territory of Fano, when on the birthday of S. Ursus there was to be abstaining from all servile work, A blasphemer violating the feast is punished, either by the instinct of avarice or by the defect of due piety, dared in a field not far from the city to labor with a plough. But it happened that about noon he was admonished by some man more pious with kind words, that it was not fitting on this feast that servile work then to be performed, that some misfortune could threaten him or his family. Which or other words of this kind the rustic received with laughter, saying, that to that Ursus he would oppose a Dog, for by that name he was commonly called. Scarcely had he finished the blasphemous words, when the oxen with the plough, fallen into a most deep abyss, perished. That very abyss even now is called the Pit of S. Ursus.