Diateria

ON ST. DIATERIA, VIRGIN, AT MILAN IN INSUBRIA,

AT MILAN IN INSUBRIA.

FROM THE MARTYROLOGY OF MILAN.

Century uncertain.

Diateria, virgin, at Milan in Insubria. (S.)

BY J. B.

That the people of Milan already of old abounded in very many remains of Saints at Milan, of St. Diateria, virgin is ascertained from the testimony of St. Ambrose, bishop of Milan, in the Sermon for the feast of SS. Nazarius and Celsus, martyrs; but that they not only did not venerate them as was fitting, but hardly even retained their memory in his age, is the statement of Carlo Bascapè, bishop of Novara, in book 3 of the Life and Deeds of St. Charles Borromeo, chapter 6; until at length St. Charles undertook to recall the drowsy minds of his people to their former love and veneration towards their patrons, holding a frequent and solemn translation of the sacred relics. Among Saints of this kind, almost obliterated, it would perhaps not be wrong to reckon Diateria the virgin, at least if account is taken of things done by her in particular: for the things that are read consigned to writing concerning her are exceedingly few, and contain scarcely anything particular. Paolo Morigia mentions her, both in more than one Work and in more than one place; Ughelli mentions her in tome 4 of Italia Sacra, abbot Lancellotti in book 2 of the Olivetan History, Pietro della Bosca in the Martyrology of Milan, citing the archives of the Portian church and Villa besides, and Carisio in the Diary of Milan at the 2nd day of October.

[2] First of all, Morigia, in book 2 of the History of Milan, chapter 8, weaves a catalogue of the Saints of the relics whose bodies or relics Milan venerates; and in chapter 21 of those whose remains lie hidden in St. Victor ad Corpus; which latter he has also done elsewhere, namely in the book On the Nobility of Milan, chapter 16, and again in the Sanctuary: in which places indeed he commemorates St. Diateria, virgin, but in such a way as to bring forward nothing beyond the bare name. Lancellotti, however, in book 2, chapter 52, of the Olivetan History, writes that in the church of St. Victor ad Corpus many bodies of Saints are preserved, some entire, some in part: and entire, fourteen in all, among which the body of St. Diateria, virgin, is expressly named. Ughelli adds, in tome 4 of Italia Sacra, column 22, that St. Diateria was crowned with martyrdom, and Carisio that she was born at Milan: from what source these things were derived, they do not set out. But if she was born at Milan, it is certainly strange that Paolo Morigia, in book 2, chapter 7, of the History of Milan, professedly reviewing the Saints of his native city, did not ascribe her to his fellow-citizens. Nor do these things seem to have been known to Pietro Bosca, the martyrologist of Milan, since he celebrated St. Diateria with the following elogium, which could equally be applied to any holy virgin: At Milan, in the Portian basilica, of St. Diateria, virgin, who, bearing a lamp kindled with the perennial oil of holy works, went out to meet the coming Bridegroom.

[3] the translation is celebrated on the 26th of July. That basilica, further, received from Portius, son of Oldanus, its founder, the name of Portian, and retained it until St. Victor obtained the laurel of martyrdom under the emperor Maximian and was buried in it by St. Maternus; from which time it began to be called first St. Victor's, and afterwards, that it might be distinguished from the other churches dedicated to the same Saint, St. Victor ad Corpus. That it also passed into the name of St. Martin ad Corpus, Tristano Calco relates in book 1 of the History of his native land: Because (says Lancellotti) not far from there was a church sacred to St. Martin, whether a part or a member of this one, in which the curial rights were exercised for those whom that district contained. Finally it also received the name of St. Victor the Burnt, because, when St. Ambrose was engaged in prayer in it, a fire thrown in by the Arians was divinely extinguished. This old one having been demolished, the monks of the Olivetan congregation in the year 1550 (Morigia writes 1560) began to build a new and more stately church to St. Victor, into which in the year of the Lord 1567 St. Charles Borromeo, prelate of the Milanese, translated, as of many other Saints, so also the examined and recognised relics of St. Diateria, virgin, with solemn rite and magnificent display. The memory of this translation the Milanese celebrate on the seventh day before the Kalends of August. Whoever desires the Acts, let him go to Raffaele Moneta, in the book whose title is The Tomb of St. Satyrus, Confessor, Illustrated, Torch 12: but they have nothing particular concerning St. Diateria.