A Story For Your Sweetie

In the Roman Catholic tradition of the Christian faith St. Valentine is the Patron Saint of betrothed couples, happy marriages, love, lovers, bee keepers, fainting, epilepsy, plague, travelers, young people and likely much more.  Whew.  His feast day is today.

There is not an encyclopedic volume of historical information about this individual and as a consequence the Church removed St. Valentine from the General Roman Calendar in 1969.  Nevertheless, he remains recognized as a saint.       

What is accepted knowledge is that Valentine was imprisoned for committing the most heinous of crimes - namely marrying Christian couples and aiding Christians being persecuted by Emperor Claudius of Rome. 

Angered to the point of rage Claudius commanded Valentine to renounce his faith or be beaten with clubs and beheaded.  Refusing the emperor - Valentine was executed outside Rome's Flaminian Gate on February 14, 269.     

In case you’re wondering if Valentine was a real person - archaeological excavations have unearthed a Roman catacomb and an ancient church dedicated to him.  In 496 Pope Gelasius marked February 14th as a celebration honoring his martyrdom.      

Today his relics can be found throughout the world – including his skull at the Basilica of Santa Maria in Rome.    

Happy Valentine’s Day.

You can learn more about the history of this Saint here.