Text from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal,
unless stated otherwise.
Saints Marcellinus, Peter, And Erasmus.
Bishop.
Martyrs.
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.
If one visits Rome, located just about halfway between the Colisseum and it’s often pressing crowds and furious street traffic, and the great Lateran basilica, is the “cute”, quiet, little escape, a just about cube-shaped, Neo-Classical church of SS. Marcellinus & Peter, on the corner of the Via Labicana & Merulana, where the much-travelled relics of these two martyrs have been venerated since 1256 AD (spottinghistory.com). Apparently a church dedicated to the two sites had been situated there since the 300’s or so; but the martyrs’ relics were originally kept at the catacombs dedicated to them outside the old city walls. In the 9th century, as Zephyrinus notes, the relics were transferred for safe-keeping to the church noted above in Seligenstadt, Germany, before their final perigrination about 3 centuries later, to their present location.
ReplyDeleteBut this little quiet gem of a church in perfectly harmonious Neo-Classical style is a great, peaceful, secret, and cool, escape from the heat and din of the Roman street in summer, where one can stop and pray without fear of noisy tours suddenly tramping through your refuge. It also (like every Roman church) has some beautiful Catholic art to elevate the mind to God. Don’t pass it up! - Notes by Dante P.
A magnificent contribution from our Rome Correspondent, Dante Peregrinus.
DeleteThank You, Dante Peregrinus.
I have now added this outstanding Church to my list of “Must Visits”, when I am next in Rome.
La Dolce Vita, indeed !!!