ON ST. DEODATUS, CONFESSOR,
IN THE DIOCESE OF SORA IN LATIUM
PRELIMINARY COMMENTARY.
The cult of a Saint known to few, from the Acts of the finding and translation.
Deodatus, confessor, in the diocese of Sora in Latium. (S.)
J. P.
Castellanus alone in his universal Martyrology announces this Saint today in these words: The Saint not a martyr but a confessor At Sora, of St. Deodatus, martyr; and he indicates in the margin that he flourished in the fourth century: whence he received this last, I do not perceive; but I scarcely doubt that he composed his announcement out of what he found among us in tom. VI of the month of May, at the twenty-seventh day, in the preliminary Commentary on the Acts of St. Restituta, virgin and martyr of Sora, especially since he also adopted the error lurking there. Papebroch, at num. 2 of the said Commentary, treating of the most reverend Girolamo Giannelli, bishop of Sora, set forth the words of Ughelli, tom. 1 of Italia Sacra, thus copied: He translated with solemn pomp the bodies of SS. Deodatus and Julian, martyrs. Then the same Papebroch signifies that the translation of each Saint would be given in its own time — that of Deodatus indeed on the twenty-seventh of September; but that of Julian, of whom treatment had already then been made at the twenty-seventh of January, in the Supplement to the Work. Hence, so far at least as I judge, Castellanus learned of St. Deodatus, learned the day of his death or of his cult; conjectured the place, and ascribed to him the title of martyr: but here Castellanus was deceived by the faulty copying of a single word in the cited text of Ughelli, in whom (I have consulted both editions) is read: The bodies of SS. Deodatus and Julian the martyr; so that the word martyr affects Julian only.
[2] he is venerated in the diocese of Sora: Further, that error proceeded from the mere inadvertence of the copyist: for Papebroch himself, both in our Collectanea and at the head of the Acts of the finding and translation, wrote with his own hand Deodatus abbot, no mention being made of martyrdom, as none is made even in the said Acts; in whose title too he is called abbot, and at num. 1 is said to be venerated as a confessor. These are the words: On the twenty-seventh day of the same month of September, in each and every year from time immemorial, a feast day is solemnly celebrated in the same land in honor of the same Saint, from the common of Confessors with the Collect for an abbot. There are also other indications of ancient cult in the same Acts; but nothing occurs from which I might elicit anything that pertains to the deeds of the Saint while he lived among men, not even so much that I might be able, even by conjecture, to mark in about what century he flourished. But he is not venerated at Sora, as Castellanus seems to have thought, because the translation is said to have been made by the bishop of Sora; but in a place of the same diocese which is called Casale S. Giovanni, and which, according to the context of the Acts, is very obscure: and hence it doubtless came about that the Saint was unknown not only to ancient writers, but also to more recent Italians, and to those very men who of set purpose published anything in print about the affairs of the city or diocese of Sora; excepting Ughelli, to whom at least the name of Deodatus had become known, and besides whom I know of none.
[3] Of the value and authority of the Acts there is nothing that I need premise: The Acts of the finding and translation to be given here. thou wilt be taught both from the reading of them and from the Annotations to be subjoined according to custom. The place whence they were received is thus indicated at the foot: The present copy has been extracted from its own original, existing in the episcopal chancery of Sora, by me, etc., word for word, as it stands, with which, a diligent collation having been made, it agrees, saving always a better; on this twenty-second day of the month of April, 1682. So it is. Giuseppe Poretta, episcopal chancellor of Sora. And at Sora, which is an ancient city of Latium on the river Liri, our Janninck was in the year 1683, and was present at, nay even lent his labor to, the inspection of the relics of St. Restituta, and probably on that occasion brought the said copy hither.
ACTS
Of the finding and translation
From an authentic manuscript instrument of the archive of the bishopric of Sora.
Deodatus, confessor, in the diocese of Sora in Latium. (S.)
From manuscripts.
The bishop of Sora Girolamo Giannelli, a Roman, by the grace of God and of the Apostolic See bishop of Sora, to all and singular who shall see these our testimonial letters, and shall likewise read and hear them, we make known, and by the word of truth, upon our oath, attest, how that we, on the eighteenth day of the month of September in the year of the Lord next preceding, 1617, in the holy visitation of this parish church of St. John, from which this place or hamlet of St. John takes its name a, and in which there was an altar under the invocation of St. Deodatus with his image painted on the wall, as it were joined with the high altar of this church on the epistle side, and with the intention likewise of finding the body of this St. Deodatus, having seen beneath his said altar a little window, which, as we have seen in the churches of the City, is a sign, and that an evident one, that the body of some Saint is there; it standing also that in the ancient visitations of our predecessors mention is made that in the same altar there is the body of this St. Deodatus; joined also with the ancient tradition, and also because on the twenty-seventh day of the same month of September, in each and every
year from time immemorial, a feast day is solemnly celebrated in the same land in honor of the same Saint, from the common of Confessors with the collect for an abbot, we celebrated Mass on the aforesaid day at the high altar of St. Deodatus, with the second prayer of the Holy Spirit and the third of the Blessed Mary ever Virgin, and after the Gospel delivered a sermon to the people, in which, among other things, we notified them of our intention of finding the body of this St. Deodatus, with the purpose of laying it in a more seemly place; and that therefore all ought to pray to almighty God, to the glorious virgin Mary, and to this holy Man for a good and happy issue of this our pious desire.
[2] the relics of the Saint being found The divine service being celebrated and the sacrament of Confirmation administered, the same pontifical vestments being retained with a mitre added, and the Hymn Veni Creator Spiritus having been begun on bended knees, we began to demolish the aforesaid altar of St. Deodatus, the priests and then the clerics helping; which being demolished, in the wall of the altar beneath the image of the same Saint painted, as above, we found another window, adorned with paintings, corresponding to the other window in the altar, as above, with only a slight wall between, on the top of which there still stood an iron hook, almost worn away with age and eaten with rust, for a lamp to be fixed there; and in the said window there stood a chest of brick, two and a half palms in length, two palms in breadth, one palm and a third in height: on it was painted the image of the same Saint; all these things were on this side and that adorned in a wondrous manner with paintings, and those almost consumed by age. All these things having been inspected and well considered by us and by the undersigned witnesses, we opened the sepulcher, in which we found the bones of this holy Man; which indeed were by our own selves laid up in the sacristy of this church, and closed in with a wall built up, with the purpose of laying them in due time in a more seemly place: and afterward, the altar and its painted image being destroyed, there was found above the painted window, as is aforesaid, a marble tablet with the image of the same Saint with a pastoral staff, chasuble, and pallium, with the inscription expressed in Gothic letters, S. Deodatus: wherefore for all these things we gave due thanks to almighty God and to his Mother the Virgin Mary and to St. Deodatus himself.
[3] into a new chapel Furthermore, behind the aforesaid altar, where the bell tower was, we ordered a chapel to be built in honor of this Saint, as it has been built, and an altar to be erected, which had been built in the middle of the nave on the side of the other aisle, which is on the left part of the church; which structure indeed was so fitly composed that the body of the holy Man was hardly at all moved from its former place. Then, the visitation of the neighboring lands being completed, on the third day of October, from the castle of Rendinara b, in whose parish church the body of St. Romitus c, which was beneath the high altar in a wooden chest almost consumed, was solemnly laid up by us in the same place in a more seemly chest of walnut, we came again to this land or hamlet of St. John, and there celebrated Mass in thanksgiving; and, the altar being built and seemly adorned with brick columns, at our own expense, with the image of the same Saint painted, with our own effigy also at his feet (for we hope by his prayers so to stand for ever), we caused another image of the Blessed Mary ever Virgin, painted upon that altar, to be fitted in the arch above the columns; all which being completed, we determined to make the translation of this holy body on the Monday of the most holy day of Pentecost, which day is the fourth of the month of June of this year 1618.
[4] he translates it and solemnly lays it up beneath the altar Wherefore, a plenary indulgence with remission of all sins, to last for seven years, having been obtained from our most holy Lord, the lord Paul, by divine providence Pope, the fifth of that name, as appears in the letters of the same our Lord the Pope, dispatched under the Fisherman's ring on the eighteenth day of the past month of May, we ourselves proceeded to this church, and today, namely on the Monday of Pentecost, the fourth of this month of June, Mass having been celebrated by us of the current day with the prayer or collect of the same Saint, and a sermon having been delivered to the people, with a very great concourse of men and with solemn pomp, the body of the same saint Deodatus was borne under a canopy by priests vested in priestly vestments through the aforesaid hamlet round about to the same church, and was placed upon the altar. Thence on the following day it was by our own selves, enclosed again in a walnut chest, beneath his altar, the part of the head being laid up in a gilded case with the image of the same Saint at our own expense, and it was given to the church with these testimonial letters, to the praise and honor of almighty God, of his glorious Mother Mary ever Virgin, and of this saint Deodatus, laid up; and the ancient marble tablet itself with the Gothic letters, as above, beneath the same altar in a place in which it can be seen, with an iron grating set before it.
[5] Therefore in this tomb the bones of this holy Man shall await the last day of the Judge, together with the letters, unless perchance some future bishop, kindled with a greater ardor of devout mind, should wish to unseal it for the sake of looking into it more curiously. In which event indeed we beseech him with the utmost prayers that he remove not the body of this holy Man from its own place, however humble, unless there be hope that he may lay it up in an adorned and more seemly cenotaph; testifying upon our episcopal faith that the body is on every side whole and inviolate, except for certain portions which we took, to adorn other churches, at the instance of Cardinals d who urgently requested us, and to promote the people's devotion toward the holy Man. Let him therefore pardon us, whosoever shall in future put his shoulders beneath the episcopal burden, and let him not look upon this humble furnishing with censorious eyes: since the place is illustrious enough which is adorned with the relics of so great a Man. But we, in places far removed from the intercourse of civil men e, could not build a more convenient one. Let all not cease to entreat God the best and greatest, and his Mother, and saint Deodatus for us. In faith of all and singular which, we have fortified these presents, written by our ordinary chancellor, with the subscription of our own hand and of the undersigned witnesses, and with our arms depicted.
[6] These things were done in the abovesaid place of St. John in the year from Christ the Lord 1618, by himself and by others on the fourth day of the month of June, in the first Indiction, in the time of the Pontificate of the most holy Father in Christ and Lord Paul, by divine providence Pope, the fifth of that name, in the fourteenth year of his reign, but in the ninth year f of our own assumption, there being present the Reverend Master Antonio Ruggero of Sora, canon of our cathedral church and synodal examiner; Pietro Paolo Finorchio, a Roman, Doctor of both Laws, canon of the same church and auditor of our court; Francesco Venditto of Balsorano, abbot of this diocese and curate of the said place of St. John; Domenico Antonio Lama of Sora, abbot of the land of Rocca Vivente; Crisostomo Corsio, canon of the parish church of Balsorano; Prudenzio Pompilio of Sora, a Cistercian monk, curate of St. Vincent's; and Santo Dino of Vico Albo, of this diocese, all priests. To Him from whom is every good, praise and glory and thanksgiving for all ages. Amen. In place ✠ of the seal. Girolamo, bishop of the church of Sora.
[7] with the witnesses subscribing, That these testimonial letters, written by my own hand, were subscribed and signed before me by the most illustrious and most reverend lord Girolamo Giannelli, at present bishop of Sora, and likewise by the aforesaid witnesses with their own hands, I, the cleric Giulio Cesare Baccaro of Albeta, a Neapolitan g, public notary everywhere throughout the whole world by Apostolic authority, and ordinary chancellor of the episcopal court of Sora, testify; and that in these matters no doubt may be had on any side, and no one may be in fear, I have written this and have here solemnly subscribed myself with my sign of notaryship, which I have been accustomed to use in public instruments, on the day, month, year, and Indiction as above.
Thus laid up in the sepulcher lie the bones of Deodatus the holy Abbot; his spirit is above the stars. Let him who seeks earthly wealth strive toward the Indies; he who seeks heavenly wealth shall be rich here.
The sign ✠ of the notary.
Receive, Deodatus, the μέτρον which Baccaro h dedicates, and be ever mindful of us in thy prayers. This Pastor, from heaven now keeping the public signs of heaven, reports in simplicity all the bright things of the sky.
The original on parchment was laid up by the hand of the aforesaid most reverend bishop in the abovesaid chest together with the body of the said St. Deodatus, and enclosed in a glass vessel, that it might be the better preserved. ✠ So it is. Girolamo, bishop of Sora.
[8] of which this is a copy, The present copy has been extracted by me, the notary Bernardo Rosello of Sora, and in the presence of the chancellor of the episcopal court of Sora, from the writings of the abovesaid notary Giulio Cesare Baccaro, at that time chancellor of the same court, well known to me, which are preserved in the keeping of the aforesaid most reverend lord bishop; with which, a diligent collation having been made, I found it to agree, a better always saved, etc. In faith of which, etc., I have written and signed this present with my own hand, being asked and required; on this sixth day of the month of October, 1621.
I, Antonio Ruggero, canon of Sora and synodal examiner, was present at all the abovewritten things, and in faith have here subscribed with my own hand, and did the same on the abovewritten original, as above, etc.
In place ✠ of the sign. Rosello, etc.