Paragorius and Parthæus and Parthenopæus and Severinus

ON SS. PARAGORIUS AND PARTHÆUS AND PARTHENOPÆUS AND SEVERINUS, MARTYRS,

AT NOLI IN LIGURIA.

Paragorius, Martyr at Noli in Liguria (S.)

Parthæus, Martyr at Noli in Liguria (S.)

Parthenopæus, Martyr at Noli in Liguria (S.)

Severinus, Martyr at Noli in Liguria (S.)

J. S.

[The cult of the Saints at Noli, where a church is dedicated to them which was formerly the cathedral:] Naulum or Naulium is a small city, but episcopal, on the Ligurian coast by the sea, commonly called Noli. There St. Paragorius the martyr, with the three Companions enumerated in the title, enjoys an ancient cult. John Stephen Fiesco in the year 1694 wrote thus about these Martyrs from Genoa to our Janning: On the seventh day of September there is celebrated in the same city (of Noli) the feast of the holy martyrs Paragorius, Parthæus, Parthenopæus, and Severinus, to whose names there stands dedicated a church outside the walls of the city, which was formerly the cathedral: where on the high altar there is, on an ancient panel, an image representing St. Paragorius sitting on horseback and his companions on foot. Of these there survives no further memory, except that formerly there were proper antiphons in the Office. The town of Noli formerly belonged to the church of Savona. But in the thirteenth century Gregory IX assigned to the people of Noli a bishop of their own, and made the already mentioned church of St. Paragorius the cathedral and a suffragan of the metropolis of Genoa; as may be seen in Ughelli, tome 4 of the reprinted Italia sacra, col. [ ], in the letters of Innocent IV, by which all these things are confirmed. That church remained the cathedral until the year 1572, when Gregory XIII permitted Leonard, bishop of Noli, to transfer the see to the church of St. Peter, enclosed within the walls of the city. The letter of Gregory XIII by which this is granted we have in the praised Ughelli, col. 1008. St. Paragorius is called in it the protector of the city and church of Noli.

[2] [they are believed to have suffered in the island of Corsica; they are also said to be venerated at Milhac in Occitania.] Ferrarius announces Paragorius with his Companions in both Catalogues. And in the Catalogue of the Saints of Italy he sets forth such an elogium as this: Paragorius, Partheus, Parthenopæus, and Severinus are reported to have suffered in the island of Cirnus, although at what time and by what torments is unknown. On this day their festivity is kept at Noli in Liguria. There stands a church dedicated to them near the walls of the city, which was formerly the cathedral: in which is seen, on an ancient panel, the image of St. Paragorius sitting on horseback and of his Companions on foot. Whence it may be conjectured that Paragorius was noble, but the rest his servants. There existed some years ago a very ancient antiphon written on parchment, wont to be sung on their feast, in which these words were contained: They suffered in the island of Corsica. The rest has utterly perished by the injury of the times. Thus far Ferrarius, who by the island of Cirnus designates no other than Corsica, which was formerly called Cyrnus. Castellanus in the Universal Martyrology announces the same holy Martyrs in the island of Corsica, and says that they are venerated chiefly at Noli, but wrongly calls their church the cathedral, although it was such before. He adds also that they are venerated at Milhac * in the diocese of Béziers, and that there stands there a church of the same name. More about these Saints I do not find.

* Milhac