Text from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal,
unless stated otherwise.
Saints Marcellinus, Peter, And Erasmus.
Bishop.
Martyrs.
Feast Day 2 June.
Simple.
Red Vestments.
The Exorcist, Peter, sent to prison, under the Emperor Diocletian, converted his gaoler and all his family, and brought them to the Priest, Marcellinus, who Baptised them. The Judge, Serenus, ordered them both to appear before him and they bore witness to Jesus Christ (Gospel). They were condemned to death and, after atrocious torments, were beheaded, towards 303 A.D.
Possessing The First Fruits of The Holy Ghost, they awaited with sighs the adoption of The Children of God, and their sufferings were in nowise compared with the Glory which now shines forth in them (Epistle). Both Saints are mentioned in The Canon of The Mass (Second List). The Station of The Saturday on The Second Week in Lent is held in the Church Dedicated to them.
Saint Erasmus, Bishop in Syria, afterwards Hermit in Lebanon, was cruelly tortured several times in Antioch and in Illyria under the Emperors Diocletian and Maximian. His legend tells us that his entrails were wound round a windlass; he is, therefore, Invoked for internal diseases, as one of "The Fourteen Auxiliary Saints". He died at Formiae, Campania, Italy.
Let us follow the examples of courage and fortitude of these Holy Martyrs, whose merits are our joy (Collect).
Mass: In Paschaltide: Sancti tui.
Mass: Out of Paschaltide: Clamavérunt.
Feast Day 2 June.
Simple.
Red Vestments.
Statue of Saint Marcellinus.
Martyr.
Seligenstadt, Germany.
Source: Own work.
Author: Agridecumantes.
(Wikimedia Commons)
The Exorcist, Peter, sent to prison, under the Emperor Diocletian, converted his gaoler and all his family, and brought them to the Priest, Marcellinus, who Baptised them. The Judge, Serenus, ordered them both to appear before him and they bore witness to Jesus Christ (Gospel). They were condemned to death and, after atrocious torments, were beheaded, towards 303 A.D.
Possessing The First Fruits of The Holy Ghost, they awaited with sighs the adoption of The Children of God, and their sufferings were in nowise compared with the Glory which now shines forth in them (Epistle). Both Saints are mentioned in The Canon of The Mass (Second List). The Station of The Saturday on The Second Week in Lent is held in the Church Dedicated to them.
Saint Erasmus, Bishop in Syria, afterwards Hermit in Lebanon, was cruelly tortured several times in Antioch and in Illyria under the Emperors Diocletian and Maximian. His legend tells us that his entrails were wound round a windlass; he is, therefore, Invoked for internal diseases, as one of "The Fourteen Auxiliary Saints". He died at Formiae, Campania, Italy.
Let us follow the examples of courage and fortitude of these Holy Martyrs, whose merits are our joy (Collect).
Mass: In Paschaltide: Sancti tui.
Mass: Out of Paschaltide: Clamavérunt.
The Church of SS Marcellinus & Peter in Rome, besides being a stational church and though rebuilt at least twice (in the 1200's, and the present church from 1751, rebuilt by P. Benedict XIV in what the architecture experts call Neo-Classical style), is one of the most ancient sites in Rome and most ancient memorials of the Christian persecutions. SS Marcellinus and Peter as Zephyrinus knows were executed in what one historian has called "the last death spasms of pagan Rome" in 303 AD under Diocletian.
ReplyDeleteWe know their cult is very ancient, being mentioned in the Canon of the Mass in the "second list" which is supposed to name all the special patrons of each order of the Church: Marcellinus was the priest who baptized the gaoler Dorotheus and Peter was an exorcist who brought his jailer to Marcellinus when he expressed a desire to convert. Their church was built on the Via Labicana, which leads to the Coliseum, not far from the catacombs where they were first interred after their bodies were recovered from a forest where they had been executed and scattered to avoid veneration by faithful Christians.
The Church itself is a gem of perfect organization, visual order, and central focus on the high altar of sacrifice, and it also has the famous painting by Guido Reni of "The Virgin Mary in Glory, with Angels, and SS Rita and Joseph" on the left side altar. (Many years ago when visiting Rome, it was one of my favorite "escapes" from the noise and heat of the summer Roman street, and it is not heavily visited by tourists. -Ed. Note)
The catacombs of SS Marcellinus & Peter, where the two martyrs were first interred, are not far away, in the former "Silva Nigra" or "Dark Forest" near where they were actually martyred, on the Via Casilina, and they have remarkable early Christian frescoes of Job and the Whale, Christ enthroned in glory with the two martyrs, and other images.
All this Zephyrinus knows, but since the cult of the early Roman martyrs was largely abandoned with deliberate purpose by some of the "reformers" of Vatican II, especially one in particular who said they had no meaning for "the Universal Church" (which meaning he was apparently able to perfectly channel, we presume), it is vital to retain the ancient legacy and tradition from which our present worship springs. SS Marcellinus & Peter fulfilled the Gospel command (Mt. 28:19) regardless the cost: that is what we should remember and pray for their guidance, no>
There is a very good travelguide's comments on the Catecombe dei S. Marcellino e Pietro at:
https://corvinus.nl/2018/02/10/rome-catacombe-dei-santi-marcellino-e-pietro/
Dear Dane Peregrinus.
ReplyDeleteMille Grazie for your stunning contribution to this Article.
It is a real “tour-de-force” and contributes greatly, both in content and in-depth historicity. Thank You.