ON S. ROSIUS OR ROSSIUS, AFRICAN BISHOP CONFESSOR,
IN THE DIOCESE OF SUESSA IN CAMPANIA.
CENT. V
CommentaryRosius or Rossius, African Bishop and Confessor, in the diocese of Suessa in Campania (S.)
BY THE AUTHOR G. H.
[1] Illustrious was the crown of twelve Confessors, who under the persecution of the Vandals in Africa on account of the Catholic faith variously afflicted & to old new ones imposed, came to the shores of Campania & Christian religion in various places dispersed, & set over different Churches, Drawn from his Episcopal See, wonderfully propagated: as about them in the Roman Martyrology is read on the Kalends of September, on which day S. Priscus one of them is venerated at Capua, & the names of others recensed; among whom is Rossius, about whom here we treat. There is also S. Castrensis from that duodenary number, whose Acts from various MSS. we gave on XI February, of which the two prior chapters to all that glorious troop look: & since there they can be read thence we repeat only a few things.
[2] It was done that in throngs from each province the Saints of God bound were ordered to be brought. no. 3 But with a vast multitude even holy men, in morals & honesty of life shining, & also endowed with the honor of the highest Priesthood, were among them, thinking themselves with the triumph of martyrdom to obtain life eternal. bound with others, Of whom especially gleamed in merits & morals & in the beauty of sense, Rossius, Priscus, Tammarus, & by nature Holy shining Castrensis. Whom the savage & most nefarious satellites in close custody thrust, & separately from one another they separated… Then The most cruel satellites caused the Saints to be gathered into one place, & some with rods, variously beaten, some with slaps, others with stones beat. no. 4 But the Saints of God, with alert mind in the love of the supernal King remaining, did not even seem to emit a sigh… Nor much later they made the Saints of God to be thrust into the depths of the prison. no. 5 On the same night appeared to them an Angel of the Lord, & the splendor of the Lord shone around all, who were in the chamber of the prison & he said to them: in prison comforted by an Angel: Behold the Lord our Jesus Christ has sent me to you, that by my speeches your hearts & bodies may be strengthened, & before the most savage persecutors attempt to plunge you into the deep of the vast sea; all you should know, that the eternal King for each of you has prepared a place, in which both you yourselves in Christ may rest, & the multitude of peoples staying in those parts from all error you may absolve. To these things the Saints unanimously said: Be praise in the highest to God, & may the supernal piety fulfill His will to us. This only let the Divine majesty confer to us, that those whom from one sun for the glory of His name He deigns to translate, within the boundaries of one country by His piety He may grant, that our bodies be buried. To whom the Angel with placid mouth responded: Of certain I wish you to know, that whatever you shall ask, according to your wish shall be fulfilled. Which said the Angel from their eyes departed: but light through the whole night abounded in the prison, & the Saints through the whole night with hymns & praises exulted. no. 6 But on the second day the unspeakable troop of the wicked, with daggers & rods rushing upon the Saints, is not terrified by threats placed, thought to bend them by their terror. But the Saints of God, confidently expecting the Angelic promise, considered as nothing their threats…
[3] Then one, in whom corporally to dwell satan was believed… no. 8 These, he said, if fire shall burn, the dust which from them remains again pollutes; but if the iron shall extinguish, their gore wherever in any countryside shall fall, first put into a worm-eaten ship, shall infect… let them be food to marine beasts; let a most ancient ship be brought, in which… scarcely walking through small spaces of the sea, let them be absorbed by the gullets of the deep… And when they had cast away an abundance of many ships, by indication was seen one older, which through the courses of many years only by the dung of birds rotten had decayed. This unanimously embracing, with joyful spirit to the shores of the sea to lead they hastened, proclaiming: This ship the Christ-worshippers shall transport to other shores. And when it on the sea they had thrown, pretending to call the names of the Saints separately with worthy honor, thus they began: Let first enter here Rossius endowed with reverend hoariness & sanctity, after this one of fecund offspring's offspring Secundinus, third who the rights of Christ to the people boldly sprinkled Heraclius: next him it is right, that Benignus & Priscus reside, Elpidius and let him sit at the last part of the side. no. 9 Within then of the other part let take place Marcus, & Augustinus: Canion & Vindonius equally with them shall recline. The standard-bearer leader Castrensis of the stern shall possess the citadel, by nature who commanded the iniquitous winds. no. 10 with others lands at the shores of Campania. Tammarus it is right to govern the prow benignly … Then the strength of the supernal King gave this indication of His strength, that those, who the Saints of God bound to the sea had led; in no way the rowing of their ships changed, until they themselves with their lights saw, in what manner Christ our God to His own in the sea provided ways & in the waters paths. And so rejoicing & exulting, & to Christ the King of ages giving thanks, they came to the Campanian shores, when the month May ten days fulfilled from the Kalends. Day of birth 16 May at Benevento,
[4] Thus far that ancient Author, who then S. Castrensis's labors, miracles & death pursues. Would that about S. Rossius's, everywhere first, labors & death some monuments existed. That his natal day is this XVI May we learn first from a very ancient Martyrology of the Church of Benevento, which translated to Rome to the Vatican library there marked number 5949 is preserved: in it indeed on this XVI May in the first place are written these words: At Benevento the natale of S. Rosius the Bishop in S. Sophia. Furthermore, whether on account of Relics there preserved as Ughelli in the Beneventan Archbishops col. 8 writes, Arechis the Duke & first Prince that vast temple of Sophia, the notable monument of Royal piety, from the foundations built & most magnificently endowed; into which afterwards nearly innumerable bodies of Saints & bones, here and there through various parts of Italy and the world sought, he translated, which about the year 600, in the time of Gregory the Great was done. Why not also then the sacred bones of S. Rossius were translated to the said S. Sophia's church, & it obtained the primary veneration on this XVI May: His Church in the diocese of Suessa: on which day also S. Rosius's cult is indicated in the MS. Calendar, with Antonius Caracciolus the Regular Cleric at Naples preserved, as testifies Michael the monk in the Sanctuary of Capua in the Notes to the Acts of S. Priscus the Bishop page 68. On the preceding page however he adds, that S. Rosius had a Church in the diocese of Suessa, to appear in the Bull of confirmation of Benedictus Bishop of Suessa, given by Athenulfus Archbishop of Capua in the year 1032. Which bull then he published in the same Sanctuary from page 581, & from him Ughelli volume 6 of Sacred Italy in Benedictus Bishop of Suessa from column 675. There the Churches of the diocese of Suessa are individually designated, & among other Churches is named the Church of S. Rosius. But Suessa is an ancient city of Felix Campania, toward
the Tyrrhenian sea & parts of ancient Latium. whether buried there? And because they had asked that their bodies within the boundaries of one country be buried, to us very verisimilarly seems, that S. Rosius, who as old man had landed in Campania, in this diocese of Suessa & province of Capua finished the rest of life, & there buried, where a Church to his name was dedicated: but the sacred body or his bones were then to Benevento translated. In the additions ascribed to Greven from the Brussels Charterhouse, also on this XVI May is reported S. Rosius Bishop & Confessor in Samnium, & seems to be understood Benevento, accustomed to be ascribed to Samnium.